Growing Pains-Jamie Stark
by Hidden Circumstance
Summary: Jamie has been living with her adoptive parents for a few months now. Without the constant danger looming over her, she is starting to settle into a normal rhythm. However, being a 13-year-old with special powers, nothing in her life is normal. Trigger Warnings for self-harm, abuse, trauma.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I've had some ideas for this story but struggled to start to put it together.**

 **For everyone who may be unfamiliar with my previous story, you should read 'From the Shadows' first because this story is a continuation of that fic. My AU includes an original character who was well-developed in the original story.**

 **Trigger warnings: Although not in this chapter, my story will contain self-harm and may reference past abuse/trauma. I will try to add a warning at the top of any chapter with those topics.**

Chapter 1

"Mom, where's my hoodie?"

"In your closet," came the cheerful voice from downstairs.

"No, the other one, the purple one!"

"Check again. If it's not there then it's not clean."

"Arghhh!" I growled in frustration that my favorite hoodie wasn't clean for my trip with Tony.

Clint stood in the doorway of my bedroom, arms folded across his chest, giving me the 'You're in trouble' look. Blood drained from my face once I noticed Clint's posture. "Um hey, what's up?"

My dad's stoic expression made me squirm. "I'm sorry." My apology barely a whisper from my downcast face.

"Have a seat," Clint said motioning toward my bed.

My muscles tensed in alarm at his words, hesitating to comply. _Why is he doing this?_ "I said I was sorry, we don't need to talk about it."

Clint waited a few moments for me to start moving on my own before taking a step in my direction to physically guide me to the bed. Clint pulled up my desk chair to sit right in front of me. "So, kiddo, what's been going on? This isn't the first time this week that you've snapped at Laura or me but especially Laura." My only defense was to shrug my shoulders, I really didn't know. "You have to do better than that. Have you been upset about something?"

"No, I'm fine. Can we just go please?"

"We can, but if we do, this conversation will happen with all of us instead of just you and me."

Tears stung my eyes. This confrontation and the thought of having to do a talk circle was more than I could tolerate. A gentle hand touched my knee bringing me back from my panic, "Talk to me."

"I really don't know what to say," I whined.

"How are you feeling about living here?"

"It's fine. I like having you and Laura as my parents and I like pretending to be a normal kid."

"Jamie, you are normal. You just have a few extra things that make you unique."

I rolled my eyes. "That's just another way of saying I'm not normal, nice try Dad." Clint decided not to pursue this line of questioning any longer, opting to continue with the original course. "How do you feel about Tony and Pepper getting married in the spring and the trip to Europe with them?" I knew he was going to bring this up, _I hate this_. I needed to give him enough so that he wouldn't continue this talk circle at the compound with Tony there and probably Pepper too.

"You already know I'm anxious about Tony getting married and you already know that Tony and I have talked so we don't need to do that again."

"Pepper and Tony love you."

"I know. I just don't want things to change again. It feels like I'm losing him." Clint's heart broke a little as I shared my fear. "I had to get used to my dad being gone and living in a new town then Mom and Lizzy left and living at the compound, then being here. Now, Tony won't even be at the compound anymore."

"You will still see him for homeschool and you can stay with him and Pepper whenever you want. Ok? Things will be different but Tony won't love you any less and he definitely still wants to see you." Clint tipped my chin up to make eye contact, waiting for my response. I was only able to give a simple nod or risk crying. Clint opened up his arms for me which I gladly accepted, moving to sit on his lap, snuggling into his embrace. "No more disrespectful attitude, got it? If something is bothering you, I want you to talk to one of us instead of taking it out on us."

"I'm sorry Dad. I didn't think about it that way. I don't mean to be disrespectful."

"I know, baby girl. Do you have everything packed?"

"Yeah, Tony said to pack light because he was going to have a bag of clothing and toiletries already packed for me." Thinking about leaving soon I felt sadness creep in again like every time I think about being so far away. "Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm a little scared to be away from home."

"Tony will keep you safe and we will still be able to talk on the phone or video chat every day." Clint punctuated his response with a tight hug and a kiss on my temple. "I'll miss you too."

Over the next half hour, I finished packing my backpack with entertainment items for the plane ride and said my goodbyes. Laura gave me three goodbye hugs, crying the entire time. I smiled feeling loved. Once the car was loaded up, Clint drove me to the airport where we planned to meet up with Tony at his private plane. My eyes were fixed on the farmhouse and my new mom and sister, who were waving from the wraparound porch as we made our way down the long dirt driveway, only turning back around in my seat to look out the front when the house was no longer visible through the trees. Clint's watchful eyes did not go unnoticed by me so I turned on the radio in an attempt to avoid any further talking about my feelings.

It's a long drive, almost a full hour, but we arrived safely, pulling around the side of the small airport to the gate that opened to the tarmac. Tony and Pepper were waiting at the bottom of the steps of his plane talking with Happy and another man whom I didn't recognize. Clint noticed the alarm written on my face, "He's the pilot. Tony has known him for a long time; he's a very nice man." I nodded acknowledging his comment with an implied thank you for easing my worries.

As soon as we pulled next to the plane, Happy was at the passenger side door, which he opened and warmly greeted me. "Excited kiddo? I know Tony is, he hasn't stopped talking about this trip all week."

I nodded, offering Happy a shy smile, still feeling uncomfortable around him. Not because he seemed inherently bad or anything, I just didn't know him well. My parents were careful not to have too many people around me while Cross was still alive.

"Alright, thanks Happy, you can get the bags now," Tony quipped with a smile ignoring Happy's scoff then opened his arms to me for a welcoming hug. "Hi baby girl. I've missed you." Tony planted a kiss on my forehead.

"I missed you, too, Daddy." Tony held on for a few more moments before releasing me into Pepper's waiting arms.

"Hi sweetie. I'm so excited to get to spend the whole week with you." I broke off the hug after a few seconds, still warming up to my new mom but offered a smile.

"Barney, I would like you to meet my daughter," Tony introduced me, putting one arm around my shoulders and steering me toward the pilot, an older gentleman with gray hair who stands just an inch or so shorter than Tony. Clint was right, he has kind eyes and a warm smile, I immediately felt at ease with him.

"You must be some special gal, Mr. Stark has been talking about you nonstop. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Barney reached out for a handshake. I obliged, agreeing that it's nice to meet him as well.

Tony clapped his hands once then said, "Everyone ready to go?"

"Yeah, one sec." I ran back to Clint wrapping my arms around his waist in a tight hug. Clint held me until I pulled away then moved his hands to my cheeks.

"I'll miss you, baby girl. Have fun and take lots of pictures."

I nodded while Clint kissed my forehead.

Barney and Happy boarded the plane while I said goodbye to Clint then Tony ushered me onto the plane followed by Pepper. Clint and Tony exchanged a few words before joining us in the fuselage. The seats were super comfy, covered in a soft black leather. Each seat completely reclined and there were tables between the seats. Along the back of the plane is a row of seats lined up like a bench. I took a seat across from Pepper with an empty seat next to me hoping Tony would join me instead of Pepper. He did not disappoint. Tony gave Pepper a quick kiss then sat across from her but next to me.

"Excited?" Although Tony's question sounded like it's just a surface level conversation opener, I knew he was really trying to bring up my talk with Clint.

"Yup."

"That's it, just 'yup?' Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's great. I mean you're taking me to Europe, what's not to be excited about."

"Uh huh, spit it out kid. What's on your mind?"

"I'm sure Dad already told you after I got on the plane, why bring it up again?"

"You're right. Clint told me that you're anxious about being away from home and that you're afraid you're going to lose me when Pepper and I get married, sound about right?"

My eyes flitted toward Pepper feeling embarrassed then turned away. I knew she liked me and all but still. I offered a slight nod unwilling to talk about this again. Tony wrapped his arm around me bringing me into a snuggle, "Honey, you know how much I love you right?" I nodded. "I love you and Pepper loves you." My gaze turned again to Pepper who smiled warmly. "We are your parents now, we chose to adopt YOU, we wanted YOU." Tony poked my shoulder on the last word, highlighting how much they both wanted me. My lips quirked up into a smile when I looked up at Tony, who leaned down to place a kiss on my temple. We sat in companionable silence until I drifted off to sleep.

 **A/N: I absolutely love feedback. I am open to general comments on the story, helpful grammar/writing tips (since I'm still new to creative writing), or suggestions for plot/character development. I imagine for many who have written and shared their work, the reader's comments are not only affirmation, but also help to stoke the flames of passion for continuing the story.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone, just a quick note about my writing style. I switch from first person to third person in my story (denoted with a break) to highlight Jamie's inner thoughts most of the time but also allow for private conversations when Jamie is not around. Since I'm new to writing and really don't know if that's even allowed, feel free to offer tips or suggestions. There are also a time when the break is just a separation of events. I hope it's not too confusing.**

Chapter 2

Pepper watched as Tony stroked Jamie's hair while she slept, his gentle touch always warmed her heart in a way she never dreamed of just months ago. The change in Tony was remarkable, so much so, that she decided to give the playboy another chance. Tony's life used to revolve around himself, his suits, having a good time, his ego. Granted after he escaped from his captors in the desert, he had changed dramatically, aware of others' needs, becoming an Avenger, risking his life for others but he was still self-absorbed. Even when they were engaged before, Tony loved her insofar as she provided him something that he needed. With this girl, Tony has given himself completely over to her, anything she needed or wanted, he would do anything for her. He lives to see her smile. Through learning how to love unconditionally with Jamie, Tony also learned how to love her putting her needs and wants above his own. Pepper is overcome with love for both of them, her fiancé and their daughter.

"What are you thinking about?" Tony's soft voice brought Pepper out of her reverie.

"I'm thinking about you…and Jamie. She really loves you, you know."

Tony looked down once again at his daughter, running his fingers through her hair. "And I love her. I'm so excited for the three of us to spend some time together as a family. I've been a little jealous of how she's fit in with Clint's family. I want that too."

"I hope she's willing to give me a chance," Pepper pondered, knowing she's late to the game when it comes to parenting Jamie.

"She will. She already likes you."

"Yes, I know but her being afraid of losing you to me, well, we will need to be careful to include her and spend quality time with her specifically whenever she is around and to make the effort to spend time with her on a regular basis."

"Yeah, maybe she would be willing to spend every other weekend at the tower with us and maybe some weeks too," Tony buzzed with excitement about having Jamie all to himself…well, all to himself and Pepper. "I'll talk to her about it later."

Pepper smiled, still watching Jamie snuggling close with Tony. "We have a daughter. That still sounds so surreal. Maybe having time with her here will make it feel more real."

"Yeah, it's definitely unconventional but I think having multiple parents is exactly what Jamie needs right now. She still struggles with handling emotions, of course nothing like before, and she's afraid of losing another family. There should always be at least someone around to care for her. Besides, we all wanted her, there's no way any of us would have been ok with not adopting her." Tony smiled thinking about how much everyone is taken with this girl, including himself, maybe himself most of all. _Who would have thought that the great Tony Stark would be wrapped around the finger of a little girl?_ "She really is something special."

Pepper nodded, overcome with love for her soon-to-be husband, seeing his love for Jamie is still so surprising and yet entirely everything she always knew he would become.

* * *

I slept through most of the plane ride, yawning and stretching when Tony rubbed his hand against my face while calling my name. "Good morning baby girl. Sleep well?"

I nodded, having enjoyed sleeping while cuddling with Tony.

"Are we almost there?"

"Yup, we will be landing soon so it's time to put on our seatbelts."

I reached around my seat to find both ends of my seatbelt then fastened it tightly against my lap. "Ok."

Tony instinctively checked the belt to make sure it's secure. "Daddy, its fine."

"I know baby girl. Sorry its habit," Tony quipped then kissed my forehead.

Pepper smiled, "I'm so glad we could all go together."

I smiled, happy too, but feeling a little like the trip would have been better if it was just me and Tony.

* * *

We flew into Munich, Germany. Although we still had to go through customs, we were ushered to a special area to meet with a customs agent instead of having to wait in the long line. Once through, we drove about a half hour to where we would be staying for the duration of our trip.

I've never stayed in such a nice hotel before. It's similar to Tony's penthouse with two bedrooms, a full kitchen and a balcony that overlooks Munich. Tony and Pepper's room has an attached bathroom with a hot tub, shower, and two toilets. Well, maybe they weren't both toilets because the one looked kind of funny.

My first instinct when seeing the humongous king-sized bed was to jump on it. Tony smiled, then Pepper yelled at me for being so wild. Tony didn't say anything, like he didn't want to upset Pepper. I flopped to my knees on the bed, feeling scolded and betrayed.

"It's been a long day, we should get ready for bed," Pepper suggested.

I sighed but complied, quickly changing into pajamas and brushing my teeth. Excited for night time snuggles with Tony, I ran out into the living room area. Pepper yelled at me for not getting into bed. I looked down feeling scolded again.

"Daddy, will you tuck me in?"

"Sure baby girl, I'll be there in a minute."

I skipped off to bed excited to at least get some time with Tony before bed.

A few minutes later, Tony came into my room. "Ready for bed?"

"Yes, but will you lay with me for a bit."

"Sure."

Tony leaned against a few pillows that were propped up along the headboard, making room for me to snuggle with him.

"Why does she keep yelling at me?"

"She's not used to having a kid around and we're all tired from the trip."

"I guess."

"Tomorrow, we will see a castle," Tony said changing the subject. "Some people think the Disney castle was inspired by the castle we will see tomorrow."

"Really? Where is it?"

"About a two-hour drive from here near the Austrian border. It's called Neuschwanstein Castle."

"I can't wait to see it. Will we get to go inside?"

"You bet. We will be getting the full VIP treatment complete with a tour of the castle."

"What time is it at home?"

"Well," Tony paused looking at his watch, "it's seven o'clock."

"Can I call Clint and Laura?"

"How about tomorrow?" Pepper suggested, coming into my room. "It's pretty late here."

I looked over at Tony who nodded at Pepper.

"But I just want to let them know I got here safe. Please, just a couple minutes. Please."

Tony looked over at Pepper again who looked annoyed but nodded. Tony pulled out his phone and dialed. "Hey Clint…yeah we made it….I'll put her on," Tony responded to various questions from Clint before handing me the phone. "Here ya go."

"Thanks Daddy," I beamed to Tony then turned my attention to the person on the phone. "Hi Dad!"

"Hi baby girl. How was the flight?" Clint asked.

"Good, well I assume it was good, I slept almost the entire flight."

"Happy to hear it. Are you going to be able to fall asleep though, it's pretty late there isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's one o'clock. I'm so excited I don't know if I'll be able to sleep but I'll try."

"What do you have planned for tomorrow?"

"We are going to see a castle that looks like the Disney castle."

"Cool. Well baby girl, I hope you have lots of fun. Be good for Tony and Pepper, ok?"

"I will."

"Mom and I love you. Hopefully, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Ok. Goodnight Dad." With that, I pushed the end call button and handed the phone to Tony.

"Ready for bed now?"

"No. Can I read for a while or something? I'm not sure I will be able to sleep after sleeping on the flight here, that and I'm really excited about tomorrow."

"Sure baby girl. Goodnight," Tony said with a kiss to my forehead.

I laid back in my bed with two pillows propping up my upper body so I could read. Tony pulled the covers up to my chest, held his hand along my cheek for a moment then kissed my forehead once more before leaving, closing my bedroom door behind him. When the first signs of day began peeking into my room, I finally shut my book having read nearly the whole story.

* * *

With the late hour, Pepper and Tony went to check on Jamie, who's still sound asleep.

Pepper cooed, "She's so precious."

Tony smiled, "Yes, she is, especially when she's asleep cuddled up with her teddy bear."

"Does she normally sleep in this late?"

"No, but she also flew halfway around the world, slept for five hours on the flight, and its still considered night time at home."

"Should we wake her or let her sleep?" Pepper asked. "I'm afraid she won't sleep tonight if we let her sleep much longer."

* * *

Tony padded over to the sleeping girl, sitting on the edge of the bed, then gently pushed a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, "Hey baby girl, are you going to sleep all day?"

Groaning, I opened an eye to see who was disturbing me so early, then pulled the covers over my head. Tony chuckled then pulled my covers back down. "We need to leave soon or we'll miss the castle tour today."

"What time is it?" I asked, stretching the sleep from my muscles.

"It's almost eleven."

My eyes flung open, "Whoa, really?"

"Yeah, really. Did you have trouble sleeping last night?"

I nodded, rubbing my eyes to try to wipe away the tired feeling. When I finally opened my eyes, I spotted Tony sitting next to me on the bed and Pepper on the other side of Tony, both smiling.

"Good morning," I mumbled sheepishly, feeling uncomfortable around Pepper.

"Good morning sweetheart. Go ahead and shower then we will eat brunch before heading out. Sound good?"

I nodded, but kept my head down. Guiding my face to his own, Tony placed a gentle finger under my chin looking directly at my eyes, "You ok?"

I nodded then looked away. Tony glanced at Pepper who shrugged, "I'll wait for you guys in the kitchen."

Once she closed the door, Tony repeated, "You ok?"

I nodded without looking at Tony.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. I guess I'm just still tired. I'll get dressed then be out, ok?"

His expression clearly spoke of his indecision. After a brief pause, Tony wrapped me in a hug. "Pepper does love you, she just doesn't know you well yet. That's why we are all on this trip together. I want you and Pepper to get to know each other better while we spend time together as a family."

A tear trickled down my cheek. Feeling insecure, unsure of how Tony will react if I share what I'm thinking. So, I kept quiet.

Tony pulled away to look at my eyes, "Try, for me."

I nodded then fell back into the hug, soaking up every ounce of the security I feel with Tony. "I love you baby girl."

"I love you too, Daddy."

"Ok, go get dressed. We'll meet you in the kitchen when you're done."

I dutifully scooted out from under the covers and walked into the bathroom to get ready. My reflection in the mirror stole my attention. I can't help being afraid of losing Tony to Pepper. I know that's ridiculous, that Tony loves me, but the unwelcomed thought persisted.

Once I'm ready, I met Tony and Pepper in the kitchen as planned. Waiting for me was a plate of eggs and bacon, toast, and orange juice. I smiled at Pepper, "Thanks."

The three of us sat down to eat. Pepper and Tony ordered egg whites and wheat toast for themselves. I wondered if Tony wished he could eat mine instead, I thought after noticing Tony glance at my plate before digging into his own meal.

"Are you excited to see the castle?" Pepper asked.

"Yeah, I am. Daddy said the Disney castle was modeled after it."

"I heard that too," Pepper responded smiling. "I've never seen a real castle either, so I'm excited to see it."

"Well, you girls ready to go?" Tony asked.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Within a few minutes, the three of us were on our way. I was struck by how similar Europe looks to home except for the weird writing and the road signs. The trip took a little more than two hours. I sat quietly in the back seat, looking out the window while Tony drove through the country roads. I could feel him looking at me in the mirror, but I pretended not to notice.

"We're here," Tony said, enjoying the excitement in my eyes.

We had to park at the bottom of a steep hill that led up to the massive castle. Since it's fall, the white castle stood out majestically against the beautiful fall colors that surrounded it. Tony scheduled a horse-drawn carriage to carry us from the parking lot to the front gate. I felt like a princess, like Cinderella riding to the ball. Despite the overall appearance of the castle, the front gate is made out of red bricks.

We were met by our tour guide at the gate, who introduced himself as Otto. He spoke English but sometimes it was hard to understand what he was saying. He took us through the various rooms taking time to explain what each room was with an explanation of each mural as well as any other related details. _Ugly, impressive yet ugly,_ I thought as I walked into a large room with palm trees painted on the walls and images of men in a circle across the top. The rooms donned wood, a lot of wood, that was intricately carved with gold-trimmed pieces. Everything was large—oversized furniture and light fixtures that matched the overall size of the building.

I stole a glance at Pepper. She was engrossed in the architecture of the building, smiling and nodding at the various tidbits that Otto shared. Tony must have been watching me watching Pepper because he wrapped his arm around my shoulders, kissing the top of my head. I snuggled in, enjoying my time with him while Pepper focused on the décor and paintings.

Otto showed us what he called 'modern technology' of the time including an electronic bell system, hot air heating, telephones and a lift. I smiled imagining Tony as a twenty-first century King Ludwig II, building his home using modern technology. With one glance, I saw the amazement in his eyes, no doubt thinking about Ludwig being ahead of his time just as he was often described.

The best part of the trip was after the tour of the castle when we were taken on a hike to a nearby hillside. We walked out onto Mary's Bridge that overlooked the castle, the beautiful fall colors, open green fields and a crystal blue lake. The waterfall below made the most soothing sound, adding to the incredible beauty of the entire area.

"What do you think?" Tony asked, coming up beside me while I leaned against the side of the bridge.

"It's beautiful and peaceful. I love it."

"Look here," Pepper said, holding up her camera to take a few pictures of us with the castle in the background.

A passerby offered to take a picture of all three of us, me standing in between Pepper and Tony. After looking at the image on the digital camera that Pepper showed Tony and me, I was struck by how normal we looked together. The three of us could pass as any other family-mom, dad, and daughter. I smiled feeling like this new family of mine might just work out.

The carriage returned us to the rental car a short time later. The sun was starting to get lower in the sky, matching my stomach's assessment that it's nearly dinner time. "I'm hungry."

"We'll stop on the way back to the hotel. What are you hungry for?"

"Pizza!"

Pepper objected, "Pizza again. I don't think so. How about we eat at the nice place next to the hotel? I wonder if we can still get a reservation," Pepper thought aloud while pulling her phone out to make the call.

I'm flabbergasted. "But Daddy asked me what I wanted!"

"If it were up to you, we'd eat pizza every day," Pepper retorted.

"Daddy?" I complained.

"Pepper's right, kiddo. You can't eat pizza every day. I'm sure you'll find something you like at the restaurant."

I huff back into my seat, arms folded angrily across my chest. _Why does she keep doing that?_ I think to myself, fuming at yet another time Pepper blocked something I wanted. _And why did Tony let her?_ The latter thought leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. "Why do we always have to do whatever Pepper wants? It's not fair!"

"Jamie," Tony sighed, exasperated. "We ate pizza yesterday, you can eat something else today."

"But you asked me then _she_ butted in!"

"Jamie!" The stern edge in his voice shocked me momentarily then the anger set in again. I re-crossed my arms, glaring at Pepper who caused this problem.

I felt Tony watching me in the mirror. "We're going back to the room first," Tony declared.

 _Oh man, I know what that means._

The rest of the car ride was quiet, with me glaring at Pepper or looking out my window and Tony's angry gaze on the road ahead, periodically looking my way. When Tony pulled into his assigned parking space directly in front of the entrance to our suite, he turned to look at me. "Go directly to your room. I will be in shortly."

"But—"

"You are already in trouble, don't make things worse for yourself," Tony warned.

My gaze turned from Tony back to Pepper, fuming at her.

Tony got out of the car and moved to my door. "Inside, now."

"Daddy—" I whined, not wanting him to be mad.

"Go!" Tony yelled, pointing in the direction of our suite. I'm scared of the look on his face, similar to the Tony that I knew shortly after moving into the compound.

I jumped at his sharp tone. Feeling myself begin to cry, I ran ahead, going straight to my room. Once inside, I slammed my bedroom door shut then flopped onto my bed holding my teddy bear close to my chest. _I hate this! It's all Pepper's fault!_

* * *

"I can't believe her!" Tony shout whispered, barely controlling his anger. "She was so rude and belligerent."

"Tony, she's a thirteen-year-old girl who's here with her dad and her dad's girlfriend-direct competition," Pepper explained. "I should try to stay out of discipline for now so I'll let you handle this."

Tony nodded then took a deep breath to steady himself. When he felt calm, reasonably sure he could talk to Jamie without turning into his father, Tony approached the shut bedroom door.

* * *

Tony entered my room, quietly padding over to my bed and taking a seat. I heard him sigh before placing a hand on my shoulder. My body flinched at his touch but I'm not sure why.

"What's going on, kiddo?" Tony asked. "You were very rude to Pepper."

"I know, it's all my fault, got it," I seethed. "You can leave now."

"Go stand in the corner," Tony commanded with a barely contained yell.

I'm initially scared by his tone then the anger came rushing back once again. "What?! Why am I in trouble?! I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Like I said, you were rude to Pepper."

"Me! I wasn't being rude. I pointed out that she butted in where she wasn't wanted!"

"Corner now!" Tony yelled.

With angry tears flooding my cheeks, I stomped off to the corner. Tony left my room, slamming the door, hard. With him gone, the sobs rolled through me. I'm sure he heard me, but he didn't come back to comfort me. He just left, angry with me. The thought crushed me. _I'm losing Daddy._

Tony came back several minutes later, clearly still angry. "Are you ready to talk?"

I stood, arms crossed.

"Not going to answer, huh? Fine, don't talk. You can just go to bed now."

"Fine!" I yelled as Tony slammed the door again.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Trigger warning: This chapter contains self-harm.**

Chapter 4

Tony checked on me several times, but I pretended to be asleep every time. I don't want to face him right now. Pepper even came to check on me a few times, but I definitely didn't want to talk to her.

Once I was sure everyone was asleep, I headed out to the living room area. The wall of ceiling to floor windows drew me in. Observing the darkened town highlighted my loneliness. I'm on a different continent but feel as though I'm on a whole different planet, alone. _I miss home, I miss feeling wanted._ _I wonder if Tony called the others to tell them about my behavior._ Again, the thought of my other parents stung, bringing a fresh round of tears to my eyes. _I wonder if they're also mad at me_. The thought added guilt and shame to the sadness. _I wish someone was here to hold me._

It's been a couple months since I last hurt myself but I still think about it every time I'm upset, today is no different. Stuck in all of the emotions, especially guilt over being bad, I felt I had to punish myself to make things right again, to make the awful feelings end. Although surprised to see Tony's shaving kit in the main bathroom instead of the master bathroom, I ignored the thought and took advantage of the easy access. Within moments, I located a small plastic container holding several replacement razor blades. With my heart pounding, caught up in a whirlwind of the previous emotions as well as the excitement that comes with the decision to hurt myself, I removed one of the shiny blades then quickly headed back to my room. Moving around the room as quietly as possible to avoid waking Tony and Pepper, I sat down on the toilet lid with my thighs exposed. Taking a few deep breaths, I hardened myself against the war raging in my mind over whether or not I should go through with it. With little extra thought, I made the first slice.

The adrenaline rush encouraged the next few cuts, euphoria taking over for only moments before the wave of shame hits. Feeling disgusted with myself but I'm at least not upset about the other stuff anymore.

After cleaning myself up, which didn't take long because I was careful not to cut too deep, I hid my razor then climbed into bed. Sleep came quickly, having only slept about five hours the night before.

* * *

"Wake up, kiddo," Tony coaxed me from my nightmare.

Drenched in sweat, I bolted upright in bed.

"You're ok. It was just a dream," Tony soothed. "Can I hold you?"

I nodded then Tony pulled me onto his lap. I didn't expect him to want to hold me so I slowly relaxed into his touch in case he changed his mind.

"I'm so sorry, Daddy. Please don't be mad at me."

Tony hushed me, "I'm not mad anymore. You're ok." Tony's hug tightened.

"But, it's not. It's not ok."

"Why not, honey?"

"I want to tell you something but I don't want you to be mad at me."

"Hmm. I will try not to be mad, ok?"

Steeling myself, I took a deep breath, steadying my nerves before talking. "I can tell you're worried that you will do or say something to lose Pepper again. So, you keep ignoring what I want to make sure Pepper is happy. When Pepper's around, you care more about what she thinks. I'm afraid you'll choose her instead of me if she gets tired of me or doesn't want to be a mom. I don't want to lose you, too. More than any one, more than any other reason, I feel like I will lose you."

Tony listened, trying to withhold any comment, as he processed what I said. My anxiety built with each passing moment. Tony took his time to respond, no doubt considering whether or not he should be honest with me. "Honey…" Tony sighed. "I am afraid of losing Pepper but I won't let it keep us apart. I promise, no matter what, I will always be your dad. Pepper loves you too. She's still trying to figure out how to be your mom, how to fit in with so many other parents."

"You promise?"

"Yes, baby girl, I promise. You are my daughter, first, always."

I nodded, resting my head against Tony's chest, finally relaxing. A few moments later, Pepper entered my room, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. We both look over at her, waiting for her response to the conversation, presuming she heard it based on the timing of her entrance.

"I want to be your mom. Tony's right, I'm still trying to figure all of this out and get a feel for what you want and need from me. I promise I won't make your dad choose. If things don't work out, you will not lose him and you won't have to lose me either if you still want me in your life. Tony and I have had lots of ups and downs in our time together. But," Pepper said making eye contact with Tony, "all of those things that used to drive me crazy have gotten so much better…," Pepper looked back at me again, "because of you. Because of Tony wanting to be a great father for you. I owe you for this amazing chance to be with Tony. Understand?"

I nodded then reached for Pepper who brought me in for a hug. "I love you. Help me learn how to be your mom, ok?"

I nodded again. Pepper held onto me, comforting me.

Tony suggested, "How about we get you back to bed?"

"Ok. Can you and Pepper do the double tuck?"

"The double tuck?" Tony questioned.

"Yeah. Laura and Clint sit on either side of me, snuggling me until I fall asleep sometimes."

Tony looked over at Pepper who smiled. "Sure, kiddo. Get comfy."

I eagerly complied, situating myself in the middle of the bed then Pepper and Tony took their places for the double tuck. All three of us enjoyed the time together.

* * *

With Jamie sound asleep, Tony whispered, "Thank you."

"That was nice, double tuck, we should do that more," Pepper commented.

"Yes, we should. Thank you for everything, Pep. It means a lot to me to have you here, trying to make this work. Jamie was right, I'm afraid that I will mess this up…like I always do. I'm waiting for the next great thing to blow up in my face. I don't want to lose either of you."

"Keep doing all the things that you're already doing. You really have changed, Tony. I have always loved you, you know that, right?"

Tony nodded, pushing a few stray hairs from Jamie's face behind her ears. "We should let her sleep," Tony said, deflecting any further conversation about feelings.

* * *

The rest of the trip was fun. The three of us spent time together, enjoying each other's company. With the end of the trip, I was excited to see everyone at home but apprehensive about how things may be different at the tower, or more accurately, how they may be similar.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Dad, please come get me!" I plead.

"Why? What's going on?"

"Please! Please, come get me."

"Where's Tony?"

"With Peter in the lab where he always is!" My tears are flowing once again.

"Where's Pepper?"

"Out of town for work."

"So, you're all by yourself?"

"Argh, yes!" I whined. "And Tony grounded me. I know I will still be grounded but I would much rather be grounded at home."

"Why are you grounded?"

"Tony and Peter have been together since I got here on Friday. Peter was already waiting for him. So as soon as we arrived, Tony went to his lab. I yelled at him after lunch today. I ate dinner yesterday alone, then breakfast alone, and then lunch alone and I've had it! If he doesn't want to see me then I don't want to see him. Please, come get me."

"I'll see if Dr. Strange can help. I'll be there as soon as I can, ok?"

"Ok. Thanks, Dad."

Less than ten minutes later, Clint arrived via portal with Dr. Strange. My tears flowed freely between sadness and anger and finally relief that my dad arrived. Clint looked around the penthouse, noticing that Tony was, in fact, not around. "I need to talk to Tony first, stay here with Dr. Strange, ok?"

"Ok," I mumbled wishing we would just leave.

Dr. Strange took a seat in the living room part of the open floor plan apartment then patted the couch cushion next to him. I complied eager for some company. Seeing that I'm still crying, Dr. Strange lifted his arm up, offering to snuggle with me, which I gladly accepted. The hum of the elevator ended with a soft buzz right as the doors opened. Clint stepped through clearly upset.

"Jamie, get your things, we're going." I immediately obeyed afraid that my dad was mad at me. Since I had multiple sets of everything, I only needed to grab my backpack, quickly throwing in my phone, headphones, schoolwork and Mr. G—my teddy bear. Clint stood guard at my bedroom door while I packed. "Ready?" Clint asked.

When I finished zipping up my bag, I responded, "Yeah."

"Strange?" Clint barked, clearly still angry.

Dr. Strange waved his right arm around in a circular pattern while the left hand sporting the sling ring remained focused in the middle of the circle. The portal sparked and widened until we could all pass through. The elevator buzzed again, but Clint didn't stop moving. Tony yelled as soon as the elevator doors opened. "Dammit Clint, will you stop! You can't take her, this is my weekend."

"No, this was your weekend with her but you failed to show up. Jamie, come on."

The confrontation was heated, with me standing in the middle, cursing myself for causing the anger radiating from both men, who are currently in a stand-off, waiting for me. Dr. Strange stepped in, physically guiding me to the portal. With my head hung in shame over the problems I've caused, I stepped through the portal. Once I was out of the room, Clint laid down the ultimatum, "If you want her again, you need to either find a way to include her in what you're doing or have Peter stay home. She loves you, Tony, and needs you, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let you hurt her like this."

"I didn't hurt her!"

"Did you see her face, she's heartbroken. She was excited to spend time with you and you ignored her."

Tony looked over at me through the open portal taking in my warm, tear-streaked cheeks and red rimmed eyes."

"Come talk to her when you get your shit together."

Clint turned on his heal, stepping through the now rapidly closing gateway. Tony stood there, dumbfounded, upset with himself for not seeing what he was doing.

* * *

Laura engulfed me when the portal finally closed. My eyes followed Clint's every move as he paced the room, running his fingers through his hair. Waiting for Clint to say something was driving me mad with worry and guilt. "I'm sorry, Dad."

Clint's gaze whipped to my face, "You don't have to apologize, this isn't your fault." Clint closed the gap between us running his hand along my face, wiping away the tears with his thumbs. "Come here baby girl."

At his words and touch, I completely lost control, crying into Clint's chest. "Is Tony mad at me?"

"Jamie, honey, you're not in trouble and Tony just needed a wake-up call. I promise, everything will be alright."

Clint held me for several minutes then pulled me over to the couch to snuggle with him. Laura joined us, taking my feet onto her lap. Exhausted from crying, I fell asleep with my mom and dad comforting me.

Clint gently rubbed my face and shoulder while saying my name, pulling me from my dreamless nap. "It's time for dinner sweetie."

I nodded but preferred to stay asleep on the couch where I was comfortable. Being awake, the turmoil of just a few hours ago came rushing back along with the added discomfort from a stuffy nose-the consequence of all my tears. "Come on, baby girl. Laura made lasagna."

"And garlic bread?" I grinned, looking at Clint brightly.

Clint smiled softly, "Absolutely. Is there any other way to eat lasagna than with garlic bread?"

I smiled.

Clint and I joined Laura who was already sitting at the table. With my siblings missing, I remembered the significance of this weekend. "I'm so sorry, this was supposed to be your weekend together for your anniversary. I'm sorry."

"Honey, relax. It's ok. There's no other way I would have wanted to handle things. You come first." Laura consoled with love and concern in her eyes, but I haven't forgiven myself for forgetting this weekend was supposed to be their special weekend without kids or for being such a baby about Tony spending time with Peter.

Clint recognized the emotions crossing my face, "Jamie, stop. I can see it in your eyes, the shame and guilt, anger toward yourself…don't. Really, we aren't upset so I don't want you to be upset. There will be other opportunities for us to have quiet time alone. Laura's right, you come first."

I nodded, trying to put my feelings in check, like Jen taught me, reframing my thinking. I took a few deep breaths to settle myself.

Clint put his hand along my cheek, "Better?"

I nodded, still feeling upset but trying to get control over it.

A knock at the door startled me, guests here—in the middle of nowhere—are rare. Immediately, I thought about Tony, sure that he's the one behind the door. I started to panic. Laura put her hand on my arm, helping to ground me while comforting me, letting me know everything was ok. Clint wiped his lips then placed his napkin on the table next to his plate, while standing up from the table. Another knock is heard. "He's impatient," Clint complained, kissing the top of my head on the way to the door. Instead of inviting Tony in, Clint went outside closing the door behind him. Several anxious minutes go by before Clint entered with Tony close behind, leading our guest into the kitchen. "Did you eat? Laura made lasagna."

"I'm fine, thanks," Tony said while sitting in Lila's seat, next to me. Clint returned to his seat letting both Tony and I know that anything Tony has to say will happen with him supervising. Laura began working on clearing the table moving awkwardly around Tony. I think she did that on purpose to annoy him. Tony watched me, perhaps unsure of how to start, but I kept my gaze locked on my fingers which were grasping and intertwining with each other on my lap.

"I'm sorry, kiddo. I was being stupid. We got wrapped up in what we were doing in the lab. I didn't realize I was ignoring you. Peter went home so if you want to come back, and I really want you to, the rest of the weekend will just be me and you doing whatever you want to do. What do you think?"

Tears started flowing again, thinking about the argument after lunch, "You said I was just being a brat, that I was jealous of Peter."

Tony cringed when I recalled what happened, "I'm most sorry about that. You tried to talk to me and I yelled at you for it. Please, forgive me for being the biggest ass ever in the history of asses."

I looked at Clint, gauging his reaction. More from the lack of emotion on his face, I could tell that he wasn't happy with Tony or the idea of me leaving to go with him but he wanted to let it be my decision. I didn't want to hurt him or make him mad but the thought of spending time with Tony sounded wonderful. I didn't want Clint to be mad at me for going back but I also knew that he was giving up a special weekend with Laura with me there. My gaze turned to Clint again, my eyes pleading with him to not be mad at me. He knew me well enough to know what I was thinking and wanted me to feel free to choose so he offered a slight smile with an almost imperceptible nod.

"Am I still grounded?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

Tony chuckled, "No, you're not grounded, will you come?"

"I want to talk to Clint first."

Clint smiled, motioning with his head to follow him outside to the porch for privacy. "You're not just going because of the anniversary weekend thing, right?" Clint asked as soon as he shut the door behind him.

"Well, I also want to spend time with Tony."

Clint nodded, watching me carefully.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No, definitely not," Clint declared. "And if he doesn't treat you right, I will come back to get you, ok?"

"Thanks, Dad, for helping me and for sacrificing part of your special weekend. I love you."

"I love you too, baby girl. You should get going. You know how impatient Tony gets."

"Ok," I wrapped my arms around Clint one last time then reached up on tiptoes, with Clint leaning over slightly meeting me halfway, so I could give him a kiss on the cheek which he reciprocated.

"Ready, kiddo?" Tony asked, standing from his seat at the table seemingly uncomfortable with the icy stares that Laura shot his way. Geesh, she's more intimidating than Clint, maybe even more than Nat.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Good morning Jamie. It's now eight A.M." FRIDAY, Tony's AI assistant, woke me gently, aware that I hated the normal buzzing sound associated with alarm clocks.

"Not yet, five more minutes," I whined, eyes still locked shut in a sleepy haze.

"I will alert Mr. Stark of your request for five more minutes."

"Arghhhh, FRIDAY!"

"What's this about 'five more minutes?" Tony said, walking into my room a few moments later.

"FRIDAY needs a snooze button."

"FRIDAY had a snooze feature but you used it for forty-five minutes, that's not snooze that's a nap."

"Fine, FRIDAY needs a nap button."

Tony chuckled, pulling me out of bed, cradling me in his arms before assaulting me with his prickly goatee, tickling my cheek and neck. Tony laughed watching me squirm and laugh from his antics. "Alright, kiddo, it's time to get ready so we can get to the compound for school."

"Why can't we just do it here? You have an entire lab downstairs."

"Why aren't you up yet, sweetie?" Asked a familiar female voice from the doorway.

"Morning Pepper. I'm super tired and Daddy's making me get up."

"If I remember correctly, the two of you stayed up past bedtime to watch a movie. You both agreed to be up this morning without a problem or early bedtime next weekend."

"Ok, ok, I'm up," I boomed jumping down from Tony's arms. "Seriously though, couldn't we do school here so I can stay longer than a weekend?"

"You can come back here tonight if you want but spending the day at the compound is a good way to see everyone else."

"I know, I just…" my words trailed off to avoid the uncomfortable feelings of rejection from the first half of the weekend.

Tony seemed to get it. He pulled me into a hug, "I'm sorry about how I acted this weekend. I owe you some special time together. Alright?"

I nodded, feeling better about everything. I squeezed Tony a little tighter.

"Ok, now, get ready. We need to leave here in a half hour unless you would rather leave earlier so you can have breakfast with Clint."

"I want to have breakfast with you and Pepper."

Tony gushed, "Sounds good to me. I love breakfast with my girls, no better way to start the day."

When we arrived at the compound, Steve and Clint were sitting at the table with Steve's back to me reading the newspaper. Clint noticed me but with my pointer finger over my lips he knew to wait to acknowledge me, no doubt picking up on my mischievous grin. Slowly, I padded as quietly as possible up behind Steve. I was about to cover his eyes, playing an impromptu game of 'Guess Who,' when Steve figured it out, twisting just enough in his seat to swoop me up onto his lap and tickle my belly.

"No, no. I give up. I give up."

Steve enjoyed the playful interaction, rubbing his nose against mine.

"How's it going, baby girl?"

"Ok."

"Anything special happen this weekend?" Steve questioned with a knowing look.

"Dad! Really?"

"Sorry kiddo, but surely you've realized by now that we all talk about everything."

Tony rolled his eyes, "Now I understand why you hate it when we share things that happen. I don't want to talk about it either."

Now, Steve rolled his eyes, "I just want us to check-in since you had an…eventful weekend."

I grumpily meandered to the couch with my shoulders slumped to my normal seat in the middle. By the time we are all seated, Nat has joined us, smacking Tony across the back of his head. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped, quickly returning to my stoic gaze when Tony noticed my reaction.

Tony sighed, "You're right, kiddo, we should have done school at the tower, definitely less hassle and less painful." Tony rubbed the back of his head where Nat's admonishing hand landed.

"Only because Pepper already hit you last night when she got home," I quipped. Everyone laughed.

"Ok, ok, that's enough," Tony complained, prompting Steve to bring everyone back to the task at hand.

"So," Steve began. "Clint shared that Tony spent Friday evening and Saturday, until you asked Clint to pick you up, with Peter and when you confronted Tony, you got into trouble."

I nodded, irritated that we have to go over this, bringing my feelings from Saturday rushing back. "Yeah, Dad picked me up, confronted Tony then Tony came to the house to talk to me and asked me to come back. Can we be done now?"

"Not yet. We know the details of what happened. Let's talk about how you felt and plan for the next time something like this comes up," Steve explained looking first at me then to everyone else.

I remained silent for a couple minutes hoping to skip the feelings part. "Jamie…" Steve sighed, "I know this is uncomfortable but its important. How did you feel?"

Unconsciously, I shifted awkwardly in my seat, "I don't know…mad, I guess."

"Ok…mad…what else?"

I shrugged my shoulders deflecting the question.

"Well, if I were in your shoes," Nat began, "I would feel rejected and sad, probably lonely, too."

A few tears pooled along my eyes, I managed to wipe them away before they fell so technically, I wasn't crying. "Yeah, what Nat said."

Tony inhaled sharply, "Honey, I'm so sorry. You know I love you, right?"

Instead of talking, I opted for a simple nod, trying to keep my emotions under control.

"I don't want you to ever feel rejected by me. I promise, I will do better. Peter does come over frequently but I can plan for him to stay with his aunt when you are over."

"I don't want you to do that."

"Why not?"

"Peter needs you. You're like his dad too. I won't take that away from him." My parents exchanged looks with each other at my words. "What?" I asked, irritated.

"Peter's not my son but you are my daughter so, although I appreciate your concern for Peter, it's really not necessary."

"You remember that I can sense things from people, right?" I paused momentarily waiting for Tony to nod. "I can feel it when Peter is around. He thinks of you as his dad. And, whether you accept it or not, you also feel…fatherly toward him. I've also sensed how lonely and lost Peter was before you came into his life. So, yes, it is necessary."

Everyone listened quietly. I wasn't sure what they were thinking about but I decided to continue. "Just find a way for all of us to spend time together or for me to not be alone for so long. And, listen to me when I tell you that I need you or if I'm feeling like I did last weekend."

Tony nodded then pulled me into a hug. "I will, baby." Tony pulled back then cupped my cheeks, "I really am sorry."

I nodded, accepting his apology. "Now can we be done?"

Steve smiled, "Yeah, kiddo. Did you eat breakfast yet?"

"Yes."

"Ok, off to school then."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Clint flashed me a warm smile when I entered the kitchen for lunch. "Hi, baby girl, how was school?"

"Good. And the best part is, I'm done for the day."

"What do you mean? It's only noon."

"Tony has a meeting so the rest of the school day is canceled."

"Oh, really? He had to cancel one day last week, too, right?"

"Yeah. He said it should only be a few hours then I will go home with him tonight to make up for the crappy start of the weekend."

"Oh, ok," Clint remarked, perturbed with Tony's lack of commitment to school but decided to move on. "So, what do you want to do on your afternoon off?"

"Can we shoot?"

Clint grinned, "Absolutely!"

After gathering up all of our gear, Clint and I headed outside to the shooting range. The weather was perfect for a fall day—sun shining on the fall foliage and still warm enough to wear short sleeves.

Clint finished his quiver first then watched me shoot. "You really are getting good at this. Maybe we should start to train you with moving targets."

"Sounds good. What time is it?"

"Uh, it's four o'clock. Why?"

"No reason. Can we go in now?"

"Jamie, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Dad, really. I just want to go back inside."

"Jamie, is this about Tony?"

"Dad," I glared at Clint with a sideways look. "I'm fine."

"I mentioned learning to shoot with moving targets and you barely noticed I was even talking. So, I don't believe you when you say that you're fine."

"Argh, Dad."

"Ok, we can go back inside now. I should be heading home anyway. Are you sure you don't want to just come home with me?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Tony promised me some special time with him."

"Alright baby girl. Call me if you need anything or if you change your mind."

"I will but I won't."

I'm supposed to go to Tony's again tonight but his meeting ended up taking even longer than he expected. Steve was busy making dinner while I moped at the table. Feeling a hint of rejection while I waited for Tony, I asked, "Poppa, can we talk?"

"Absolutely, baby girl. What's up?"

"Well…I…," I sighed heavily unsure of how to continue. "Forget it."

Steve turned off the stove then joined me at the table. "Jamie, I want you to continue, it sounds important." Steve tipped my chin toward him with his finger, "Ok?"

I sighed again then nod. "I don't like bouncing around between different houses. I love being with Clint and Laura and I love being with Tony and I'm starting to feel better around Pepper. Tony makes me feel special and I know he loves me but sometimes his…motives, seem off. I trust Tony, but well, more like cautiously trust him. I know he won't hurt me but sometimes I'm not sure why he does some of the nice things. Am I making sense?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"I don't want to stop being around him or even stop going to his house but I'm nervous sometimes about going."

"Is this about the weekend when Peter was there?"

"Partially, I guess. But also, he's more affectionate when Pepper is around so I wonder if sometimes he's doing those things to impress her. Not that he won't do those things if Pepper isn't around," I let out another heavy sigh. "Forget it, I don't really know what I'm trying to say. I'm probably just being a stupid baby."

"Hmm… Well, I do know that Tony loves you very much. Maybe he wants Pepper to see how much he loves you but it doesn't mean that he doesn't actually love you."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"Do you feel safe there?"

"Um, yeah, I feel safe."

"You don't sound convinced."

"I don't think Tony will hurt me or anyone else but I don't know if my feelings are safe."

Steve nodded, he understood what I meant even though I didn't know how to say it.

"Do you want to stop going to Tony's?"

"I don't know…maybe...no," I growled in frustration. "I want things to go back to the way they were."

"I think we should all talk about it."

"No! I don't want Tony to know about this."

"In order for things to get better, you need to tell us about things like this. What about Clint, can you talk to him?"

"No. Clint won't let me go to Tony's anymore if he knows that something's bothering me. You should have seen his face when he picked me up from the tower. I've never seen him so angry. I don't want everyone to start fighting about this."

Steve sighed, "How about I talk to everyone about setting up a better schedule? You're hardly ever here at night, maybe you can stay here for awhile to get a break from it. Nat and Bruce were just talking about missing you."

"Yeah, ok. It would be nice to stay here."

"Ok, baby girl. I'll call Tony to let him know that you're just going to stay here tonight."

I nodded only allowing my tears to fall once Steve rounded the corner to call Tony.

A few minutes later, Steve was back, done with the call, "I talked to Tony, he said he's going to be stuck for a while so he's glad you just made other plans."

"Ok, great," I deadpanned, still upset from being stood up.

"Well, kiddo, what would you like to do tonight?"

"I don't know, whatever."

"Maybe a movie and snuggles?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm going to my room, let me know when dinner's ready."

"Jamie."

"What?" I responded irritably.

"Is going to your room going to help or make you feel worse?"

"It will help," I spat then quickly made my way to my room. I heard Steve sigh but he didn't follow.

* * *

The next morning, Tony apologized profusely for ruining our plans for a special night together. "I promise, this weekend will be different. It'll just be you and me doing whatever you want to do. I don't have any meetings or anything planned and Pepper is out-of-town for work."

I'm thrilled with the news but remained cautious, not letting myself get to excited like yesterday. All goes well throughout the week. I spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night at Clint's. At the end of the school day on Friday, Tony and I headed back to the tower together.

 **A/N: Thanks for the comments!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 _He ditched me again! I can't believe this, he said we would have special time together and he ditched me. I've had it!_ With determination, I headed to my room, gathering up my clothing and toiletries, packing them in my backpack then grabbed both boxes of granola bars from the kitchen before leaving.

FRIDAY interrupted, "Jamie, Mr. Stark will not approve of you leaving the tower."

"Don't tell him."

"I am required to inform Mr. Stark if you leave the tower."

"Fine, whatever. It's not like he'll even care."

Before I had the chance to find out if Tony does care, I took off down the unfamiliar streets of New York. It was only seven o'clock but its already dark. I grumpily thought, _stupid autumn, getting dark early._ Fortunately, I remembered to bring my coat or I would have turned right back around when the brisk air hit my exposed skin. After about two blocks, I seriously reconsidered my decision when my teeth started to chatter. _No! I'm not going back there!_ My feet stomped in defiance, continuing away from the rejection I felt at the tower.

Walking not more than a few blocks, I noticed the sanctum, Dr. Strange's sanctum _. I had no idea the tower was so close._ Between being cold, tired and honestly lost, I decided to walk up to the door, hesitating only briefly, then knocked.

A few moments later, Dr. Strange answered the door. "Jamie? What are you doing here and how did you get here?" Dr. Strange asked while looking up and down the street for some indication as to how I made it all of the way to his doorstep.

"I walked, it wasn't far."

"Not far? Walked from where?"

"The tower," I looked down at my watch to provide more detailed information. "It only took me like fifteen minutes to walk here."

"That's not possible, the tower is on the other side of town, it should have taken more like an hour."

"I don't know, but…" I sighed, frustrated and afraid that Dr. Strange didn't want me there. "Forget it, I'll leave."

"Jamie, wait! Come in, it's cold outside."

I paused looking at the door and then at the sidewalk, unsure if this really was a good idea.

"Jamie?" Dr. Strange called firmly when I didn't move.

Complying, I crossed over the threshold, into a large foyer. Dr. Strange put a hand on my shoulder to get my attention. When he didn't get it, he followed up with a finger under my chin, "What's going on?"

"I…I left the tower."

"Why?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I need to let someone know where you are or they'll worry."

I sighed, "Ok, how about Steve."

"Ok." After a brief reassuring hand on my shoulder, Dr. Strange left to make the call.

A minute or so later, Steve was ushered into the sanctum through a red sparking portal.

"Jamie, what happened?" Steve interrogated, eyes full of worry.

"Nothing, nothing at all!" I spat, crossing my arms tightly across my chest.

"Does Tony know you're here?"

"I doubt he even noticed I left, I don't think he noticed I was there in the first place. Can I go to the compound now?"

"Yes, we can," Steve responded then turned his attention to Dr. Strange. "Thanks for your help."

"Do you mind if I come back to the compound with you? I'd like to meet with everyone."

"Nat, Bruce, and I are the only ones there right now. I will have to round up the others."

"The four of us can meet, no need to bring the others into this tonight."

Steve's phone rang, "Excuse me for a moment."

Dr. Strange and I nodded then the sorcerer turned to me, "I'm glad you came to my door. Thank you for trusting me."

I nodded then turned toward Steve who re-entered the room with his phone in hand.

"That was Tony. He definitely noticed that you left. He called Clint first looking for you so he and Clint are going to meet us at the compound."

"What? No! I don't want to talk to Tony." I looked from Steve to Dr. Strange to the door. _I need to get out of here._

Watching me carefully, Steve moved to block the exit then walked closer to me putting his hand on my shoulder. "Tony already knows what's up. You can't run from this."

"Clint will be mad, he won't let me go to Tony's anymore and he will yell at him! Please don't do this, that's why I didn't just call Clint again."

"So, you decided to walk to the sanctum? Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?"

"Nothing happened. Besides, it's apparently super close to the tower because it didn't take long to get here."

"You didn't know how to get here?"

"No, I just sort of looked up and there it was."

"I think I can shed some light on that part," Dr. Strange had Steve's and my full attention. "Let's head to the compound so I can explain it to everyone at the same time."

Steve nodded then Dr. Strange made a portal that led to the living room of the compound. Walking through the portal, I was met by several angry faces immediately putting me on the defensive. I crossed my arms, refusing to look at anyone, especially Tony because this was all his fault and Clint because he was clearly the angriest.

"Sit on the couch," Steve instructed.

I debated arguing but decided against it when I noticed that my hesitation made Clint's face even redder.

Dr. Strange began, "I would like to meet with everyone first."

Steve looked around the room at everyone then nodded. "Jamie, stay here. I'm going to have Vision sit with you."

"But—"

"No, don't argue. You're in enough trouble already," Clint scolded.

His warning shut me up. I sat quietly, watching as my parents filed out of the room while Vision entered.

* * *

"Thanks for meeting with me first," Strange began. "You already know Jamie left the tower and ended up at the sanctum."

"Yeah, what the hell was she thinking?" Clint spat angry and exasperated.

Dr. Strange ignored Clint's comment. "Tony, what time did she leave the tower?"

"Seven."

"She arrived at the sanctum at seven ten."

"That's not possible, there has to be a mistake. There's no way to get from the tower to the sanctum in less than forty-five minutes, realistically an hour."

"Yes, but she did. I believe the sanctum brought her to the doorstep."

"Run that by me again," Tony said perplexed. "The sanctum brought her there?"

"Yes. The Sanctum is magical, a living being of sorts. I believe that it is looking out for Jamie. Brought her to the doorstep, then prompted her to look up. Also, I don't think Jamie has ever seen the sanctum—in real life or in a picture. I don't know any other way she would have known where she was. There must be some sort of connection between Jamie and magic."

The team absorbed his words. "Well, I'm glad at least the sanctum was looking out for her," Clint scoffed, a jab directed at Tony.

"Hey," Tony yelled. "Peter needed help with a project that's due on Monday. Jamie was fine."

"Clearly, Jamie wasn't fine or she wouldn't have run away."

"She's fine."

"But she could have been hurt walking around New York City at night. How do you not see that?"

"I do see it but she's fine. How do you not see that?"

Steve interjected, his tone stern, "Alright, that's enough."

"No, Steve, I'm not going to let this go," Clint yelled. "Jamie could have been in serious danger. You did the same thing last weekend, she needs you to be around. If you're not able to be with her, like in the same room most of the time, then you should cancel the visit so shit like this doesn't happen."

"Stop…both of you," Steve admonished. "Jamie knew that you two would be at each other's throat so she didn't want to talk to either of you."

Clint and Tony were silenced. Something about their daughter not wanting them to be fighting, maybe knowing that she didn't feel comfortable to talk to either of them, hit home for them.

"Now, you both know that Jamie can sense your feelings and that she doesn't respond well to strong emotional situations. No one wants to see her in the infirmary tonight after the device triggers to prevent her mind from exploding. We need to work together on this." Steve looked at Clint, waiting for his response. Clint reluctantly nodded. Then, Steve looked at Tony who also nodded. However, the two men didn't look at each other.

"Ok, so how do we help Jamie so that she gets what she needs and make sure she is safe?" Steve asked the team, refocusing on the problem at hand.

"Visits at Stark's should be put on hold," Clint suggested now looking directly at Tony, daring him to challenge him.

Tony rebutted, "I'm also her dad. She needs time with us."

"You and Pepper need to be around to call it 'time with us.'"

Nat chimed in this time, "Dammit you two. Jamie needs all of us. Can't either of you see that?"

"Yes, I can see it," Tony yelled. "That's what I've been saying."

"Yeah, that what you've been saying but that's not what you've been doing," Nat retorted. "So, fix it or I'll make sure you need to visit her here."

Vision was heard over the coms, "Dr. Banner, Jamie would like you to come to her room."

"Is she injured?" Steve asked.

"No, she is not injured."

"Alright, I'm coming," Bruce responded, leaving the rest to sort out the mess, secretly happy for the break in the conflict.

* * *

When Bruce entered Jamie's room, he found the girl curled up on her bed, crying.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"Everyone is fighting because of me."

Bruce moved to sit next to Jamie on the bed. She leaned up against him, allowing him to hold and comfort her. "Everyone is upset right now, but we all still love you very much and want what's best for you."

"They are angry, not just upset. They are fighting with each other. I don't want Clint to make me stop going to Tony's and I don't want Tony to hate Clint."

"Can you feel all that?"

The weeping girl nodded, "Yeah and it's because I was a stupid, jealous baby!"

"Honey, there's nothing wrong with wanting to be with Tony when you are at his place."

She didn't believe him but allowed his soothing words and gentle touch to calm her.

"Bruce?"

"Yeah?"

"Tony likes to hang out with Peter more than me. If Clint doesn't let me go anymore or if Tony decides its not worth it, then I'll never see him anymore. He doesn't need to be around me but he does need Peter. And, Pepper's almost never there. I think she doesn't like to spend time with me either because she's always working when I'm there. I'm already losing him." Jamie's tears flowed in torrents speaking this aloud.

"Honey, I don't th—"

"I can feel it," Jamie interrupted, sadly. "I know that's how he feels. It's not just something I'm afraid of happening, it's really how Tony feels. I know he still loves me but I can't compete with how much he enjoys being with Peter."

Bruce chose not to respond, knowing that Jamie was probably right, considering she can sense feelings. He just held her tighter, thinking about how he could help Tony and Jamie. Before long, Jamie was lulled into sleep by the love and security she found in Bruce.


	9. Chapter 9

**Short chapter but big stuff happening.**

 **Chapter 9**

Tony looked at his phone when it pinged a fourth time in as many minutes. Although everyone was annoyed, Tony won't ignore a message from Pepper who was traveling so he checked to see who was trying to reach him. Tony read the name of the texter… 'Peter.'

 _'_ _Mr. Stark'_

 _'_ _Mr. Stark, why aren't you answering?'_

 _'_ _I need you, Mr. Stark.'_

 _'_ _Please Mr. Stark'_

With the urgency in his words, Tony excused himself from the group, ignoring Clint's scoff on the way out.

"Peter, what's going on?"

"It's May, she's…she's gone"

"'Gone,' what do you mean?"

"Please come to the hospital. It's May, she's gone. She's…She's…"

"Alright, calm down, Peter. I'm on my way. Which hospital?"

"Elmhurst"

Tony checked in with the team. "I think Peter's aunt died. I need to go. Can we finish this later?"

Everyone nodded, the anger drained from them with the news. They looked at each other for a few moments then returned to the living quarters. Jamie was still curled up against Bruce, asleep with dried up tear streaks caked on her cheeks and sucking her thumb.

Seeing the position Jamie was in, Clint commented, "I was going to ask how she was but I don't think I need to."

"Her sensitivities to our feelings are getting stronger," Bruce noted. "She has a pretty good idea of what Tony's feeling…wait, where's Tony?"

"Sounds like Peter's aunt may have died, Tony's on his way to the hospital."

Bruce nodded, taking in the news just as the rest of the team had.

"So, what did she say about how Tony feels?" Steve asked.

"She said Tony enjoys being around Peter more, that she can't compete with him. She also mentioned that Pepper avoids her by being out of town when she's around."

Clint shook his head, "Why didn't Jamie tell us this before?"

"She's afraid of losing us," Steve responded, understanding the answer was much easier than guarding against it. "I'll talk to Tony. I don't think we're going to get anywhere if he feels like we're all ganging up on him. I'll try to set something up with Tony and Pepper to discuss all of this."

* * *

Several hours later, Tony contacted Steve, letting him know what was going on with Peter.

"Hi Steve. Peter's aunt passed away, car accident. I have Peter with me at the tower."

"How's he doing?"

"He's a mess but who wouldn't be."

"So, now what? He doesn't have any family, right?"

"I'm going to take him," Tony said definitively. "I'm all he has. Besides, he's Spiderman. Who else could take him?"

"I get it, it's really great that you're willing to jump into the father role with Peter. He needs you right now."

"Yes, he does."

Steve remained quiet for a few moments, prompting Tony to speak, "I won't forget about her. I need time to figure everything out but I want to, I want her. Six months ago, I was a bachelor, now I'm a father of soon to be two teens and am engaged. I'm trying."

"I know you are. We should meet, talk about things, Pepper too. Maybe in a few days when things settle for Peter."

"Thanks, Cap. I need to go. Peter's in bed but he's a mess right now, I don't want to stay away too long. Tomorrow, I have to meet with my lawyer and a social worker. I'll try to call or stop in to see Jamie afterward to talk to her about everything."

"I'll hold off telling her any specifics until you talk to her."

"Thanks, Cap."

Steve hung up the phone then addressed the team, "Peter's aunt died. Tony will be taking guardianship."

"I'm glad Tony is going to help Peter but what about Jamie," Bruce asked. "She already feels left out. Now Peter will be living at the tower full-time and she will just visit from time to time. That's going to make things worse for her."

"Maybe, but he has to do this for Peter. I believe Tony will figure out a way to be there for both of them."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Where's Tony?" I asked entering the kitchen for breakfast.

"He's in a meeting," Steve responded. "He said he will try to touch base with you later."

"Oh." I quickly moved to the fridge, selecting a yogurt to hide my disappointment.

"Jamie, Tony has some big stuff going on. Give him some time."

"Yeah, I am. It's no big deal," I said then started back toward my room, my words not matching my tone or demeanor.

"Jamie, wait," Steve called.

"I said it's not a big deal. I'm fine."

Steve caught up to me before I re-entered my room. "Jamie, come eat with me."

I began to turn him down when I spotted Tony entering from the private entrance. "Daddy!" I squealed then ran up to him and jumped into his arms. Steve said he would come talk to me but I was afraid he didn't mean it.

"Hi, baby girl. It's so good to hold you. I really needed that," he said kissing my temple.

Tony carried me to the couch then positioned me on his lap, continuing the snuggle.

"I'm really sorry I haven't been such a good dad lately," Tony said then pulled away to look at my eyes. "Forgive me?"

I nodded, resting my forehead against his. Tony sighed contentedly then pulled away after a long moment.

"We need to talk about something."

"Ok," I said nervously.

"Last night, Peter's aunt died."

I'm stunned. "How…How's Peter?"

"He's struggling right now," Tony responded. "Jamie, Peter's aunt was the last living member of his family. He doesn't have any family to take him."

"You're going to take him, right? You have to take him. He already sees you as his dad, so you're going to be his dad now, too, right?" I asked, nearly begging.

"Yes, Jamie. I want Peter to live with us at the tower. So, you don't mind, given how much I've messed up over the past few weeks?"

"No, I don't mind. Peter needs you."

Tony smiled putting both hands on my face, one on either side, "I'm so proud of you. You are so kind and caring."

"So, the penthouse only has two bedrooms. Where will I sleep when I visit?"

"I'm going to have another room put in. It'll take a few weeks. Do you mind waiting till then for another visit?"

"I don't mind."

"You can pick out what you want in your room. Ok?"

I smiled, "Ok."

"I might have to spend extra time with Peter for awhile but I want you to know that I love you very much and haven't forgotten about you, ok?"

I nodded, knowing that I might need to be reminded again.

"Where's Peter now?"

"He's in his quarters on the other side of the compound."

"I'm going to visit him."

Steve chimed in, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" I challenged.

"I'm sure he is upset and it hasn't been long since you were struggling. I don't want you to have a hard time after seeing him."

"He spent time with me when I was struggling so, now, I want to spend time with him. I'll be fine. Besides, he's my brother now. Clint says I need to learn to lean on my siblings and to be there for them." _Maybe bringing up Clint isn't fair but I want to see Peter._

I looked at Steve and then Tony who were looking at each other. "Ok, but you have to agree to do a talk circle afterward."

"What! No, that's not fair."

"You can't see Peter right now unless you agree to talk about it afterward, take it or leave it," Steve said definitively.

"Daddy?"

"Sorry, kiddo. I agree with him. With losing your own family and sensing others' feelings, this could bring up some strong feelings for you."

I growled, upset about having to do a talk circle later but I was willing to endure it so I could be with Peter. "Fine. Can I go now?"

Steve nodded.

"I'm coming, too," Tony said. "I'll stay in the background though."

"Argh, fine, come on."

I held Tony's hand while walking to the other side of the compound, using the comfort I feel with him to steel myself for what I might feel being around Peter. Tony waved me toward the door when we arrived. I knocked then waited for an answer. "Come in."

Peter's voice sounded shaky and I could sense his grief. A few tears fell before I had a chance to wipe them away.

"Baby girl, you don't have to do this," Tony said, no doubt having seen the tears.

"I want to," I replied then opened the door before Tony could stop me.

"Hello?" I called entering the dark, quiet room. Peter's feelings are so much stronger already. It seems with every step closer, the feelings of sadness and loss grow exponentially.

"Over here."

I looked toward the sound. Once Tony turned on the light, I noticed Peter was hanging from some webbing in the corner of a living room. _A living room! I only get a bedroom and Peter has a mini apartment. Not fair._ I thought then chided myself for being jealous.

Peter's living room isn't huge but it has a couch along the far wall and an adjacent recliner. There's a flat screen TV mounted on the opposite wall with an entertainment center. The room also has a coffee table, side tables, and lamps.

The only other notable aspect to the private living space was the odor. It definitely smelled like teenage boy in there.

"Hi Peter," I said softly.

"Oh, hi Jamie," Peter responded then jumped down from his web.

I immediately ran to Peter bringing him into a big hug. "I'm so sorry."

Peter started to cry again but I continued to hold him. Noticing Peter's reaction, Tony began to move toward us, I signaled for him to stop. Tony complied but didn't back away wanting to be close just in case.

"I'm sorry," Peter choked out between sobs.

"It's ok. I remember what it's like to lose someone, I understand."

Peter nodded then released the hug. "Thanks."

He didn't remain in the hug long before moving to sit on the couch, like even standing was too much effort, so I sat in the recliner. Tony sat next to Peter on the couch.

"So, I guess we're like brother and sister now," I mentioned wondering if Peter also thought of that.

"Yeah, I guess so. Mr. Stark said I'm going to sleep in your room but he's making you a new room. Is that ok?"

"Of course, that's ok. Besides, I get to pick new stuff for my room."

"Huh, yeah."

"Well, I'm going to go now but you can hang out with me whenever. I'm usually here at least part of the day. I probably won't be at the tower for a few weeks but you can call me too."

"Ok, thanks."

Tony took the opportunity to jump in, "Are you doing alright, Underoos?"

Peter nodded.

"Ok, I'm going to walk Jamie to her quarters. I'll be back in a little bit."

Peter nodded again then climbed back into his web hammock.

I looked over at Peter, recognizing the look. "Ready, kiddo?" Tony asked.

I nodded then followed Tony out of Peter's quarters. Being in the room with Peter was suffocating. Now that I'm walking next to Tony, holding his hand, the wave of emotions hit me hard. Tony scooped me up, holding me close. Laying my head on his shoulder, Tony rubbed soothing circles on my back.

When we returned to the living room, Tony sat on the couch positioning me on his lap. Everyone joined us, setting up the promised talk circle. I'm disappointed to see that Clint, Nat, and Bruce are also here.

Everyone remained quiet while Tony comforted me, waiting for me to calm down before starting. After several minutes, Steve asked, "Ready?"

I nodded but stayed on Tony's lap.

"Tell us what you were feeling while you visited with Peter."

"He's devastated," I commented with a few sobs, still feeling his sadness

"How were you while you were there?"

"I was ok. It was overwhelming but I was more focused on Peter than myself. Everything started to affect me after we left."

Tony interjected, "I'm so proud of you for wanting to support him even though it was hard."

Clint asked, "How are you feeling now?"

"Better. I was really sad but I'm ok now."

"Are you ready to head home now?"

"Home? No, I just want to stay here."

"You can visit Peter again tomorrow, but I would like to take you home now."

"Can't I just stay here?"

Clint looked over at Steve then Nat and Bruce. Nat chimed in, "Bruce and I will be here and we haven't spent much time with her lately. It would be nice to spend the evening together."

Steve added, "I'm planning to be here tonight, too."

Clint nodded, "Ok, I'm fine with you staying here tonight. Do you want to do some shooting before I head back?"

"Sure," I responded.

I snuggled closer to Tony for a minute or so not feeling ready to say goodbye. It felt like I was actually saying goodbye for a long time not for just a day or two. With the addition of Peter, I questioned my place in Tony's life. Maybe it was nothing, but I also remembered how the last two weekends went. This felt like the last hug.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

After gathering up our shooting gear from the lockers, Clint and I headed out to the shooting range. Clint kept looking over at me like he was ready for me to fall apart or something.

"How are you doing with the news?"

"I'm ok."

"Jamie, I can tell by your voice that there's more going on that you're hiding."

" _Dad_ ," I huffed, frustrated with being called out on it.

" _Jamie_ ," Clint huffed back, imitating my tone and facial features.

I smiled at his antics, feeling more at ease. "Dad…with everything that's happened, I'm afraid that I'm losing Tony. With Peter living at the tower, being his kid too, will Tony even want me anymore?" I couldn't help the tear that fell down my cheek.

"Of course, he will still want you. You are his daughter."

"But Tony actually has fun with Peter, they have things in common. He likes to snuggle with me but only if Peter's not around to do other stuff with."

"Tony will figure out how to be a dad to two kids. It'll take time though and Peter will need more attention for a while now that he's going through losing his aunt. Tony loves you."

"I know. And I know that Peter needs Tony. I want Tony to be Peter's dad. But…" my words trailed off as I think about what I'm really saying.

"But you feel bad wishing Peter wasn't moving in, taking your room, taking Tony."

I nodded, wiping away a few tears.

"Baby girl, it's ok to have those feelings. I know that you want Peter to be cared for and I know that you also want your daddy. Tony will figure this out. Besides, now you have an older brother."

"I don't really want Peter to be my brother."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, forget it."

"Jamie, do you like Peter, like as a boy?"

"Please don't make me answer that."

Clint pulled me into a hug. "Peter's a great kid but he's also the only kid that is ever around you. You will find other boys. I promise."

"But I can be my weird self around Peter. I don't think anyone else would be ok with an exploding mind and sensing feelings. I would have to hide those things."

"Well, in the beginning you would but you will know it's the right boy when he knows those things about you and still loves you. Most teenage boys won't be ready for that kind of intimacy but just wait until you are older, you will find someone."

I didn't believe him but enjoyed the hug anyway.

"You are such a great kid. I'm so lucky to get to be your dad."

"Thanks Dad."

We continue shooting until our quivers are empty. "Ready to head back inside now?"

"Yeah," I responded then gathered up my stuff. "Hey Dad?"

"What's up baby girl?"

"Are you still mad at Tony?"

Clint paused then looked at me. I think Clint was trying to figure out how I knew he was mad then recognition crossed his face.

"You could tell?"

"Yeah, I could tell."

"We weren't even in the same room."

"Stronger emotions come across louder. I could feel your anger and Tony's guilt. He's really hard on himself but tries to hide it from everyone. No one is angrier with him than himself, it borders on hatred sometimes."

Clint listened, knowing that what I'm saying is true despite not wanting to believe it sometimes.

"Well, I'm still mad, but not as much as yesterday. I know Tony's trying and I know he loves you but I hate seeing you hurt. I was really scared when I found out you left the tower and made it all the way to the sanctum."

"Why is everyone making such a big deal out of it? It wasn't a far walk."

"Jamie, there's so much wrong with what you just said," Clint sighed. "First, you ran away when you should have contacted one of us or confronted Tony. Second, you ran away into New York City. You have no idea how dangerous that city is, doubly at night. Third, you didn't know how to get to the sanctum or even what it looked like. Fortunately, the sanctum, itself, magically transported you there to keep you safe. Otherwise, I don't want to think about what could have happened."

"What do you mean, it 'magically transported' me? That doesn't make sense, it's a building."

"Well, according to Dr. Strange, it's a magical building with a will of its own. No one knew this, but it's apparently keeping tabs on you and brought you to the sanctum when you were in danger. I've never been so grateful to a building."

"Yeah, I guess I didn't know what the sanctum looked like, but I definitely recognized it when I saw it."

"So back to the danger part, you were in real danger. Why did you leave the tower instead of choosing a safer option?"

"I didn't know it was dangerous. I should have but it never crossed my mind. I just wanted to get away from there."

"Last time you called me, why didn't you do that again?"

"Because I didn't want you to be mad at Tony and not let me visit him."

"You didn't want me to be mad! What?" Clint exclaimed exasperated. "You didn't think I would find out anyway? You didn't think I would be even madder that you were in danger?"

"I'm sorry Dad. I really didn't think about any of that."

"Well, so you know, Tony made some changes to FRIDAY's programing. You won't be able to leave the building unless given permission or if FRIDAY deems the building to be unsafe."

"What? I'm being locked up in the tower?"

"You won't be in jail. It's the same rules as now but FRIDAY will also help to enforce it."

"Is it the same here?" I asked tearfully.

"Yes, you will need permission to leave the compound too."

"That's not fair."

"My job is to keep you safe, not to make life fair."

"But Dad—"

"That's enough!" He rebuked. "You need permission to leave the building, end of story."

I turned away from Clint and huffed off back inside. _I'm so angry!_ Clint followed close behind, probably expecting me to run away again. It sure is tempting.

I put my bow and quiver in my locker, slamming the door.

"Hey, you wanna try that again?" Clint chided but I kept moving, ignoring him.

Clint followed, radiating anger. "Don't walk away from me."

The angrier he got the more I wanted to get away from him. Once we entered the living area, Clint commanded, "Go to your room!"

"Oh, I guess now that I've been given permission I'm allowed to go to my own room. Hear that FRIDAY, don't lock my door, I have permission," I yelled then slammed my bedroom door.

When Clint discovered my door was locked, he ordered, "Jamie, open the door!"

"Go away!" I yelled then moved into the bathroom, locking the door, then into the closet and taking my normal position on the floor blocking the door. I know it's just a matter of time before they pop open the locks but I can at least get some distance for a little while.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

It's been weeks since I hurt myself but they think it's been months. _I wonder if they will make me show them my legs like before. Ugh, probably, they're always all over me, I can't do anything._

The familiar pop sound announced that they've unlocked my doors, followed by someone knocking on my closet door."Jamie, can I come in?"

 _Steve_. "No, go away!" I shouted.

"I'm not going to leave while you're in the closet."

"Fine, stay there then. I'm not coming out."

"What happened?"

"Go away, please," I asked, nearly begging. _I'm not sure why I'm so upset._

I still kept the piece of glass nearby, just in case I needed it. Typically, knowing it's there is enough but I really wanted to use it _. I wish someone could hold me._

"Jamie, let me in so we can talk."

In almost a whisper, I asked, "Will you just hold me?"

"Absolutely baby girl. Let me in so I can hold you or we can snuggle on your bed or on the couch, wherever you want."

I moved away from the door enough so Steve could enter. He knelt down next to me. "Where should we snuggle?"

"Is anyone else in my room?"

"Nat, Bruce, and Clint are there. Is that alright or would you prefer they leave?"

"I want everyone to leave."

"Alright, hang on for a second."

Steve returned less than a minute later. "Ok, everyone left your room. Let's go snuggle."

Steve held his hand out for me to hold then guided me to my bed. I took a seat, moving over so Steve had room to sit as well. As soon as Steve wrapped his arms around me, I began to cry. I didn't know why or where all of this came from, it was just there. Steve held me for a long time, comforting me while I cried.

When I started to calm down, Steve asked while wiping away my remaining tears, "Why are you so sad?"

"I don't know," I admitted honestly.

"I imagine everything with Peter and Tony is upsetting especially after everything last night."

I nodded, acknowledging that I'm upset about Peter losing his aunt and now moving in with Tony. My tears were reignited, mourning the loss of my new dad.

"Jamie, honey, Tony really does love you and wants you. Give him some time to figure everything out."

"But with Peter living there now, he won't want me anymore. I've only been his daughter for a few months and he already doesn't like spending time with me anymore. He likes being around Peter, not me."

"Jamie—"

"Can I just go to bed now?"

"Nat and Bruce have set aside their plans for this evening to hang out with you. It's up to you but I think you should take advantage of this time. Regardless, you need to talk to Clint."

I nodded then got up, knowing that I had to face Clint. _It'll be nice to spend some time with Nat and Bruce,_ I thought to myself while I walked toward Clint to accept my punishment.

With my head hung, I padded to the living room, "Dad, can I talk to you?"

Clint headed to the kitchen with his brow furrowed, clearly still angry, prompting me to follow.

I sighed heavily but followed knowing I deserved this lecture.

Clint stopped near the table then pointed to a seat. Even without words, I knew he wanted me to sit and he meant business, but I couldn't help trying to fend off his anger, "Dad, I—"

Clint shook his head and pointed to the chair again. I sit, unwilling to challenge him again risking even more trouble.

"The way you talked to me and stomped off is unacceptable."

"I'm sor—"

"I'm talking right now," Clint scolded, effectively shutting me up. "Regardless of how upset you are, you do not have the right to yell at me, stomp off, or slam doors."

My tears began flowing, having my offenses laid out before me by my dad, by someone that has been so patient with me and so willing to love me, was hard to hear. I'm so ashamed of my behavior.

"Jamie, look at me," Clint instructed with less sting.

I reluctantly obeyed, offering only a partial glance because the shame I felt was exponentially worse when I did.

"I love you baby girl and I deserve respect."

I nodded, "Yes, sir."

"Go stand in the corner, facing the wall."

Keeping my gaze down, I complied, moving to the designated corner. Within seconds, full on sobs tore through me, but I obediently remained in the corner until Clint beckoned me.

"Come here Jamie."

I left the corner to stand in front of Clint. Since I wasn't looking at him, he guided my face to look at his with a gentle finger under my chin. As soon as my gaze met his, I pled, "I'm so sorry, Dad. I'm so sorry."

Clint scooped me up into a hug, cradling my head along his shoulder. "I love you baby girl."

"I love you too."

Clint continued to hold me for several minutes but I still struggled to calm down. "What's going on?"

"Do you still want me?"

"Yes, absolutely. That isn't going to change, ever."

I had a hard time believing him.

"Can you sense what I'm feeling right now?" Clint asked.

My sobs weakened when I focused on what I sensed from Clint. "You love me."

"That's right. I love you. Does it feel like I love you less now?"

I shook my head, only a few hitching breaths remained.

"Better?"

I nodded.

Clint continued to snuggle with me for several more minutes until I completely calmed down.

"Ready to spend the evening with Bruce, Nat, and Steve?"

I nodded but leaned in again for another hug.

"I promise, you are my daughter and I love you. I will never give up on you no matter what. Ok?"

I nodded again still feeling subdued.

Clint brought my face into his hands. "Are you ok?"

I nodded then backed away a few steps so Clint didn't feel like he had to stay with me any longer.

"Ok, let's go into the living room with the others."

I turned to walk into the living room, Clint followed a few steps behind. Bruce patted the seat between him and Nat, ushering me to sit with them. I complied, still feeling awful but didn't lean up against either of them.

Clint tried one more time, "I'm going to head home now. Are you sure you want to stay here tonight?"

I nodded.

"Ok kiddo. I'll see you tomorrow."

I nodded.

Clint looked over at Steve then headed toward the hanger. Steve offered, "I'll walk you out." Then moved to follow Clint.

* * *

"I assume you heard, was I too hard on her?" Clint asked.

"No, you weren't too hard. She's just still learning to believe that we won't leave her. With everything with Tony and Peter, I imagine she's even more sensitive. We'll keep an eye on her tonight, spend some time snuggling. She'll be alright."

"We talked about giving her fifteen-minute time outs in the corner but two minutes was all I could stand. She was really upset with herself."

"She still acts out of fear and anger. Jen said she should be ready to begin to be disciplined but to take it slow. I think it's good you pulled her out when you did. We want to guide her behavior not crush her. You held her afterwards too. With having the chance to reconnect with you, feel your forgiveness, she will recover."

"You're right. It just broke my heart. Maybe I should have calmed myself down more before talking to her. I yelled at her. Maybe I should have been in the corner right along with her."

"Clint, she's fine. Don't beat yourself up over having her stand in the corner for two minutes. She needs discipline too."

"Yes, you're right." Clint took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

"We will take care of her. Go home and spend some time with the others. We've got her tonight."

Clint nodded, then continued on his way to the jet.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Trigger warning-mention of self-harm.**

 **Chapter 13**

When Steve returned to the living room, Jamie was laying up against Bruce with her feet propped up on Nat's lap. She still had the forlorn look on her face but she's at least letting them help. That's a start.

 _I hope Tony doesn't mess this up,_ Steve thought to himself with a sigh.

Steve took a seat on the adjacent couch. Although a movie was playing, no one was paying attention to it. Steve, Bruce, and Nat were watching Jamie who was staring off into space, probably lost in her own thoughts. All three adults knew that Jamie's mind was a dangerous place for her to remain in too long especially since she doesn't tend to do this unless she's struggling.

Bruce continued running his fingers through Jamie's hair, rubbing her forehead from time to time while Nat rubbed Jamie's shins and feet both trying to comfort her.

The three Avengers exchanged silent communication, a skill well developed over the past several years of working together in a field where quick, effective communication can mean the difference between life or death. They were trying to decide how best to help Jamie-in the moment as well as warding off worse problems.

The events with Tony and more recently with Peter's aunt were just another blow in this young girl's life. She was finally settling down into a semi-normal routine spending most of the nights at Clint's, fully acclimated into their family life, attended homeschool at the compound and played on the softball team during the fall-ball league.

Jamie looked around, noticing that everyone was looking at her. "Um, what's up?"

"How are you?" Nat asked.

"I'm fine."

"What would you like to do?"

"Um, the movie is fine."

"Do you even know what movie we're watching?"

Jamie looked over at the TV, not recognizing the woman on the screen. The girl sighed heavily, "No."

"Ok, so the movie probably isn't fine. Maybe we could play video games or a board game. What do you think?"

"Um, I think I'll just go to bed. I'm pretty tired."

"Jamie…" Steve sighed. "I'm not going to stop you from going to bed, but I don't think you should be alone. You're clearly still upset."

Jamie debated how best to respond. She was irritated by his words but also didn't want to end up in a talk circle. Should she agree to playing a game first, giving herself time to feign being ok or accept that someone will be with her in her room tonight?

Jamie sighed again, "Let's play a board game."

Steve smiled at her choice.

"But afterward, can I go to bed without a babysitter?"

They all chuckled. "No promises," Steve said.

Their chuckles morphed into all out laughter when Jamie sported a pouty face in response.

Nat retrieved Clue and Uno. Both sounded good but Jamie decided on Uno. They played several hands, each of them winning a few.

"Ice cream?" Steve asked.

"Sure. Do we have sprinkles?"

"We sure do."

Jamie grinned, everyone enjoying her child-like behavior. Jamie's mood lightened after spending time with her family.

At nine thirty, Steve said, "It's time for bed."

"What? Here, too?" Jamie whined.

Nat chimed in, "Yes, 'Here too.' You know your rules in one home apply everywhere."

"Yeah, I guess. I haven't spent much time here so it's really only applied at Clint's."

"What do you mean?" Nat asked. "Doesn't Tony make you go to bed at nine thirty too?"

"Well, no not really. He's much more laid back. Usually we watch a movie together at night so I do go to sleep but it's on the couch snuggling."

They are visibly annoyed with Jamie's confession. "What?" Jamie demanded seeing their expressions.

"We all agreed to the rules. He needs to follow through just like everyone else."

"Great, more arguing. I'm sorry I said anything," the girl mumbled grumpily.

"Jamie, we need to work together to raise you and to do that we all need to have the same rules. It's not going to be an argument, more like a discussion."

"If it involves Tony, it will be an argument. He will get all defensive and not want me anymore."

"Tony will still want you but you're right, he'll probably be a little defensive."

"A little?!" I retorted.

"Ok, maybe a lot. But that doesn't mean that we should let it go."

"Fine whatever. I'm going to bed," I said grumpily then left the kitchen.

Steve sighed, but no one tried to stop me from leaving.

* * *

I laid in bed, tossing and turning. Potential outcomes flooded my mind: Tony refused to talk to me anymore, Tony adopted Peter and gave me away, Tony blamed me for ending his relationship with the Avengers. Any hope of thwarting the return of my tears was lost hours ago as each potential future that played out in my mind stung more than the last. By the early hours of the morning, I lay, curled up in a ball in my closet under the hanging clothes, mourning the loss of my daddy and hating myself for messing it up.

With the darkness and quiet of the night, I ran through everything I should have done differently, done better. _I should have been nicer to Pepper. I should have hung out with Daddy in his workshop. I should have done better with math. I should have been a good girl._

With renewed vigor fueled by hatred for myself, I reached inside my sweatshirt's pocket, the sweatshirt that successfully hid my contraband piece of glass for the past couple of months from the lamp that broke during one of my emotional episodes over the summer.

My vision was blurred from relentless tears as I lifted up my shirt looking for the spots least likely to be discovered. Nat doesn't regularly check my body anymore but still could if she thought I was hiding something and always seemed to know when I was.

There were already several smaller cuts along and below my waistband as well as the skin under my bra. It hadn't been hard to hide these cuts because Nat only ever checked my stomach, legs and arms. However, I wasn't going to try to be super careful, not this time. With each slice, my rage lessened until exhaustion took its place as it always did. I welcomed the sleep but knew I had to hide the evidence if I was going to be able to keep hiding it. I dragged myself from my spot, returning the glass to the sweatshirt's pocket before climbing into bed. Within a few moments, I was asleep, coming down from my adrenaline rush, feeling emotionally drained.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Hey, baby girl, it's time to get up," Nat called, then gently rubbed the sleeping girl's back whose only response was a grunt followed by more soft snores.

Nat chuckled softly then pulled Jamie out of bed and placed her on her feet. "Come on sleepy head. It's time for you to get up."

"Mom," Jamie whined while walking into the bathroom with her eyes mostly shut. Nat chuckled again.

"Why are you so tired? Didn't sleep well?"

"No, I didn't sleep well. Can I go back to bed for a while, please?"

"Jamie, what's going on?" Nat asked, concerned now.

Jamie finished using the restroom then returned to her bedroom, walking around Nat and crawling back into bed. "Are you feeling alright?" Nat asked feeling her forehead with the back of her hand. "You seem ok."

"Mmm not sick, tired," Jamie managed to say then dozed off again.

Nat left Jamie's room, checking in with the AI, "FRIDAY, what time did Jamie fall asleep last night?"

"Jamie fell asleep at five twenty-two a.m."

"What? Why? What was she doing?"

"Jamie laid on her bed until five o'clock then went into her closet. I am unsure what Jamie was doing while in her closet."

"Shit," Nat whispered under her breath then went to find Bruce and Steve.

"Hey, where's Jamie?"

"Still in bed."

Bruce looked over at Nat, "She ok?"

"I don't know for sure but FRIDAY said Jamie was up until after five and spent the last twenty minutes in her closet." Bruce and Steve were alarmed, knowing that Jamie goes into her closet alone when she's upset. "So, what's our game plan?" Nat asked looking at Steve.

Steve sighed then looked at Nat, "Think she'll be ok for a bit?"

"Yeah, she seemed ok. Just tired."

"Ok," Steve said. "Clint will be here soon, let's wait for him."

As if on cue, Clint walked into the kitchen, immediately noticing something was off. "What's going on? Where's Jamie?"

"Still in bed. She was up most of the night and spent some time in her closet during the night."

"Shit, is she ok?"

"She seemed ok, just very tired," Nat responded.

"Should we let her sleep for a while or get her up to check her?"

"From what Natasha said, I think we can let her sleep," Bruce said. "FRIDAY will let us know if there's a medical emergency."

"I should have stayed with her last night," Steve murmured, frustrated with himself.

"How was she when she went to bed?"

"She was upset earlier in the evening but then we played a game," Steve informed him. "She seemed somewhat better after that but then she let it slip that Tony hasn't been making her go to bed at nine thirty. She was upset that we were going to discuss it with him. She's afraid of upsetting him."

"Well, I can understand that but, really, Tony should know better," Clint complained. "Talking about Tony, should we call him?"

Steve responded, "Yes, we should let him know there was a problem. But we don't know much more than that. I'll give him a call."

* * *

"Hi Tony, how's Peter?"

"He's ok. Quiet, sad, but ok. We are in the process of making funeral arrangements. How's Jamie?"

"Well, that's why I'm calling. She was up alone during the night last night. FRIDAY said she was in her closet for about twenty minutes then went to bed."

"Dammit, I thought we were past this."

"She's struggling a lot right now. I'm sure Peter's aunt dying is bringing up her own feelings of loss and, with him moving into the tower, she's afraid of losing you."

Tony's sigh ended in a grunt, "I'm trying. I don't know how to be there for her and Peter. I suck at being a dad and now I have two kids."

"Relax, Tony. I'm sure you will figure out how to balance everything. You've had some big changes over the past several months. Do you want to be here when we confront her?"

"Yes. I'll be there in about an hour and a half unless Strange is available to bring us."

"Ok, see you then."

* * *

The feeling of someone touching my face and carding their fingers through my hair lured me from my dreams. They weren't especially good or bad dreams so I didn't mind. It took a while for the fog to clear enough to open my eyes. Clint was sitting on the edge of my bed, smiling at me.

"Good morning baby girl. Are you planning to sleep all day?"

"Ugh, what time is it?"

"Almost ten. You doing alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just a little tired."

"You went to bed at nine thirty, right?"

"Of course, that's my bed time."

"Sleep ok?"

"Dad, stop. Really, I'm fine. I'm going to get dressed then I'll be out."

Clint didn't move. My heart started to pound, realizing that he knows something is off. "Um, you going to let me get up?"

"Baby girl, I know something is going on. I want you to talk to me."

"Dad!" I whined, exasperated.

"Jamie!" Clint exclaimed, exaggerating his expression to match my own. I can't help but to smile when he does that. "What happened last night?"

"Nothing. I just had trouble sleeping."

"Did you know that FRIDAY monitors your vital signs?"

"My what?"

"Vital signs. FRIDAY measures your heart rate and temperature, things like that."

"Um no. I didn't know that."

"Well, FRIDAY noted that your heart rate spiked around five fifteen in the morning then it dropped to normal fairly quickly." _I'm pretty sure my heart rate just spiked again. Crap, he knows I hurt myself. Crap, crap, crap._ "So, what happened at five fifteen?"

"I guess that's when I finally calmed down enough to sleep," I offered, hoping my response explained everything.

"Yes, I know that's when you were able to calm down but I'm wondering how you helped yourself calm down."

"All those relaxation techniques that Mom taught me have really paid off."

Clint sighed, "FRIDAY, how is Jamie's heart rate right now?"

"Her heart rate is elevated." FRIDAY stated in her annoyingly matter-of-fact voice.

"Are you feeling ok right now?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Can I please get dressed now?"

Clint looked at me for a few moments then decided to proceed, "Nat needs to check you before you get dressed."

"What!? No! I said I'm fine. You can't do that just because I slept in!" I fumed.

"Would you like Hulk to hold you while Nat checks?"

"Dad, no! I don't want her to check me!"

Clint didn't argue, remaining in place, sitting on the side of my bed. _He's blocking me from running away._ My thought ignited my rage. Without thinking, I started to kick my legs. Clint deftly blocked my kicks then pulled me into a restraint. The others poured into my room. They were probably waiting right outside my door the entire time, then took up spots around me to help restrain me.

Clint talked calmly into my ear, "This is your last chance, will you cooperate with Nat and Hulk?"

"No! Leave me alone!"

Clint nodded at Nat who quickly lifted up my shirt to check my stomach then lifted up my pajama pant legs to check my thighs. She also checked my arms, pushing up my sleeves to the middle of my bicep.

Nat shook her head.

"See, now let me go!" I screamed.

"I can let go when you are calm," Clint said, trying to keep his voice soft and soothing.

It took a few minutes, but I did calm down. It really helped that they didn't find my injuries this time but I'm still furious with them. As soon as Clint let go, I wriggled away from them, finding refuge in my locked bathroom.

Once hidden away from my parents, I listened carefully, hoping to hear what they had to say since they didn't find anything. I gave up, only hearing a few muffled sounds. Lifting my shirt, I realized just how close Nat was to finding the cuts. I try to only do short, shallow cuts but last night they were longer and somewhat deeper. With a deep breath, I changed my clothes into yoga pants, a t-shirt and a hoodie. Everyone was still in my bedroom when I emerged from the bathroom.

"Talk to us," Clint asked, unable to shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"Can I go to school now?" I spat, my arms tightly crossed over my chest.

They looked at each other briefly, then Clint nodded. My feet couldn't carry me fast enough to get away from them. I know I dodged a bullet.

* * *

"She's definitely hiding something," Clint commented.

Nat added, "Yeah, she's a terrible liar."

Nat took a quick walk through the bathroom and closet, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. _Dirty clothing lying on the floor next to an empty hamper definitely isn't out of the ordinary._ Nat sighed, picking up the clothing to put in the hamper then noticed a red streak. Nat turned the article over, noticing dozens of streaks ranging from an inch to about three inches on the discarded clothing. Nat headed back into the bedroom where the others were still discussing the situation. "Hey fellas, Jamie lied," Nat said, holding up the girl's dirty clothes. "She may be a terrible liar, but she's getting sneakier."

Clint joined Nat, taking the evidence from her then examined it closely. "She must have cut twenty times!"

Bruce also looked at the clothing. "What did she use to hurt herself?"

"I didn't notice anything and I'm sure she won't be forthcoming with that information either."

"At least none of the cuts seem especially deep," Bruce sighed then made an odd face.

"What's up?" Tony asked. "That was your Hulk face."

Bruce huffed, "Hulk's upset."

Tony responded to Hulk, "We all are, buddy."

"So, how should we handle this?" Nat asked, getting everyone back on track.

"One-on-one didn't work so I think it's time for the old-fashioned way—a talk circle," Clint suggested.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Trigger warning-referenced self-injury.**

 **Chapter 15**

Since I went straight to my classroom to avoid any further discussion, skipping breakfast, my stomach's rumblings lured me back to the kitchen after only an hour or so of school. My muscles stiffened when I noticed my parents oddly silent, sitting at the table but remained hopeful since no one addressed me. I set to my task of making a sandwich and pouring a glass of milk. With the morning's problem, I decided to eat in the classroom but was stopped before leaving the kitchen.

"Eat in here with us," Steve said. His voice was calm but he's radiating anxiety.

With a heavy sigh, I took a seat in an open chair. I nearly sat at the breakfast bar instead since the only open seats were along the wall, leaving the only possible escape route blocked. _They're probably doing this on purpose._

Although everyone appeared calm, the intense emotions burning inside of the them left my stomach churning and my sandwich uneaten.

"Not hungry?" Clint asked.

"Not anymore. I think I'll head back to school now."

"Wait, we need to talk," Nat instructed.

"Really, again? We just talked this morning, remember the whole restraining me thing? No thanks," I spat then started to stand.

Bruce put his arm up, blocking my exit, then said, "Please sit down."

Instinctively, I paused, remaining on my feet while looking around the room for some way to escape.

From the other side of me, Clint instructed, "Sit down."

Frantic panic hit me hard, hating when my parents did this to me. Realizing I had no choice, I sat back down in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest in anger.

"You're right. We already talked this morning," Clint confirmed. "I wanted you to talk to me about what happened last night. You refused to talk to me so now we are doing this as a group."

I growled, hating that I am once again in this position, especially since I did hurt myself last night. _I'm sure they already know, why bother doing this stupid talk circle. I wish they'd just punish me and get it over with._

Nat chimed in, "Honey, when I put your dirty laundry in the hamper, I noticed some blood on your undergarments."

The blood drained from my face and my body froze. _They know!_ Of course, I assumed that they knew something was going on but they actually know that I hurt myself. _Crap!_

"What happened last night?" Nat asked softly.

With my head laying on the table for stability, I took several deep breaths trying to control my quaking core. Nat and Clint tried to comfort me, Nat rubbing my back and Clint stroking my hair. They gave me a few minutes then proceeded, "Why did you hurt yourself, baby girl?"

"I don't know. I was upset and couldn't fall asleep and…" My words trailed off, unwilling to say any more about it.

"What were you upset about?"

"The same as earlier," I said simply, hoping to avoid talking about my fears of losing Tony in front of him.

"Honey, we already filled Tony in on how you were feeling about him."

"Why? Why did you tell him?" My words laced with betrayal.

"Unless specified, we talk about everything regarding you. You already knew that," Nat commented softly.

Yes, I did know they talked about everything but the sting was there nonetheless.

"I want to check you again, but in those areas that are normally clothed. I can do it with Hulk holding you, I can do it alone, we can have the nurse help, however you will feel more comfortable."

I shook my head.

"Whether or not we check isn't negotiable. Sorry kiddo," Clint said.

With that, I brought my legs up to my chest and tucked my arms in, keeping my face buried in the crevice between my knees. My parents continued to comfort me, giving me time to calm myself and accept that someone would be checking my injuries.

"Did you decide who you want with you?"

"Can Mom come?" I asked Clint.

"You want Laura with you?" Clint responded, surprised.

I nodded then felt insecure, "But if she wouldn't want to that's fine."

"She will but are you sure you want her to see?"

I nodded again. "I want Nat to actually look but maybe Mom could hold me."

Clint smiled at me, stroked my head then kissed my temple. "I'll give her a call. Maybe Dr. Strange can help get her here quick. It shouldn't be a problem since Cooper and Lila are in school right now." Clint left the room to call Laura.

Tony scooted over taking Clint's abandoned chair next to me. "Baby girl, you know that I love you, right?" Tony asked, a hint of sadness in his tone.

I nodded without looking up.

"No matter what happens with Peter or Pepper or anything, you will always be my daughter. I love you."

Unwelcomed sobs ripped through me at Tony's words. His response was immediate, quickly scooping me up onto his lap, holding me close to his chest. "Shh, baby girl. You're alright. I will never let you go, I promise. You won't lose me, no matter what. Ok?"

I nodded but still doubted him.

"Give me some time to figure everything out. I'm still new to being a dad. Ok?"

I nodded again, feeling better knowing that he was trying to work on making things better.

Less than ten minutes later, Dr. Strange brought Laura and Nathaniel through the portal. Laura handed the wriggling baby to Clint then came over to me, wrapping me in a protective hug.

Nat suggested, "Let's head down to Jamie's room."

Laura nodded then adjusted into a side hug while she guided me to my room. Once inside, Nat closed the door and directed Laura to sit at the head of the bed while I laid down, partially resting my head and torso on Laura.

"Ready?"

I swallowed my fear, feeling stronger and less embarrassed, albeit slightly, before nodding then closing my eyes tightly. I tried to focus on Laura's gentle, motherly touches along my forehead, cheeks, and jaw. I felt Nat lifting and moving my clothing, first my shirt and bra then my pants and underwear. She briefly twisted my torso to check along my sides as well.

"Ok, I'm done," Nat said softly.

Curling up, Laura pulled me onto her lap continuing to comfort me until I felt better.

* * *

The team eagerly awaited the update from Nat, sitting in anxious silence while she checked Jamie's injuries.

"Well?" Clint asked as soon as Nat turned the corner.

Nat leaned up against the breakfast bar, preparing to share. "There were about twenty fresh cuts as well as dozens of smaller, older cuts. I'm not sure how long she's been hurting herself. Probably the past several weeks. They are all shallow so she won't need stitches."

Blood drained from their faces. "Several weeks?" Clint gasped. "How did we miss that?"

"The cutting seems to be more controlled," Nat explained. "They are small, most are less than an inch, and like I said, shallow. I imagine she was more reckless last night since she was so upset. Otherwise, I don't think we would have found out."

"When is she doing this and what's she using?" Clint asked, his voice clearly frustrated.

Tony offered, "I don't know but I think we should reinstate additional supervision."

"We should discuss this with Jen, see what she recommends. I don't know if making her show someone all of her body is a good idea," Steve suggested.

"I agree," Bruce offered. Tony, Clint, and Nat nodded.

"I'll give Jen a call now," Steve said. "I don't want to wait until next week to address this."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Trigger warning-referenced self-injury.**

 **Chapter 16**

"I'm so sorry," I whimpered, snuggling closer into Laura.

"Oh honey, you don't have to say you're sorry. I want you to try to talk to us when you're upset so you don't get to the point where you want to hurt yourself."

"I hate talking about stuff when I'm upset."

"I understand sweetie. It's hard to talk when you're really upset but maybe at least let us know you are upset and let us snuggle with you. Maybe that will at least help some."

"I'll try but it doesn't usually work."

"What things have you tried that did work?"

"Well, I guess boxing with Tony."

"Ok, so some sort of heavy physical activity."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Well, we can figure something out. Let us know so we can help, please. I don't want you to have to go through this alone and I hate seeing you hurt."

"Ok," I responded but feeling sure that I won't be letting anyone know in the future. I love that she cares though. "Thanks for coming."

"I'm so happy that you wanted me to come, that you gave me the chance to help take care of you. I love you so much, baby girl," Laura gushed with a tight squeeze and a kiss to my forehead.

"I love you too, Mom."

"Hi babe," Laura said to someone standing in my doorway. Following her gaze, I noticed Clint smiling at us.

"Hi Dad," I said feeling ashamed.

"Hi baby girl. How are you doing?"

"I'm ok."

"Yeah? Good. Enjoying some snuggle time?" I nodded then snuggled in closer to Laura.

Clint joined us on my bed, resting his hand on my calf. "Ready to talk?"

I nodded, pulling myself into a sitting position. "Are you mad at me?"

"No. I'm not mad. I am concerned though. We not only saw cuts from last night but many older ones too."

He wasn't angry, he wasn't hateful or even disappointed. He was caring. I couldn't handle caring. His soft tone wrecked me, my body began to quake with heavy sobs. Clint moved to sit on the other side of me, pulling me into a snuggle. Laura remained close, sort of like the double tuck position. My parents patiently comforted me until I was ready to talk again.

"Tell me what's been going on."

"You already know."

"We know that you've been hurting yourself but we don't know when or where or what you're using. We also don't know what you were feeling and what was happening that made you upset."

"I don't know how to answer that. Sometimes when something happens that upsets me, I just hurt myself then I'm better or if I'm having trouble sleeping because I'm upset, cutting helps me to calm down."

"Honey, why didn't you talk to us about any of this? It's our job to help."

"Cutting is faster and works better." Horrified gasps assaulted from both sides. They attempted to hide their shock when I winced but I could still feel that they were upset.

"Cutting is also dangerous," Clint gently admonished. "It doesn't actually make things better, it just covers up the strong emotions for a while. Letting us help and talking to Jen about things can help make things better so you won't want to hurt yourself anymore."

I sighed, "Yeah, I know."

"Where do you usually hurt yourself?"

"Depends on where I am?"

"So, you've hurt yourself at home and at Tony's as well as here?"

"I don't want to talk about that stuff."

"Sorry kiddo. We need to know everything so we can help you."

"I don't want you to help. You'll make it so I always have a babysitter."

"Sweetie, we're already adding supervision."

"No!" I cried. "I don't want that."

"We need to keep you safe."'

"But Dad—"

"Stop. I'm not going to argue with you," Clint chided, interrupting me. "What do you use to hurt yourself?" With my lips set in a hard line, I refused to answer. "Jamie, one way or another we are going to get to the bottom of this. I'm giving you the chance to tell me yourself."

"So, you are mad at me."

"Not mad—concerned, very concerned. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Even if you are mad at me."

"Mom?" I turned to Laura, looking for her to back me up.

Laura grimaced, "Sorry honey. I agree. We need to be able to protect you."

"But I feel better knowing its there if I need it."

"You don't really need it though. There are other things that are better for you that can help. We're all going to work together to find what helps. We won't leave you to figure this out on your own, I promise. Ok?"

I knew my back was up against the wall on this. If I didn't tell them they would go looking through my stuff. _Maybe I can keep something hidden if I tell them about some of the razors._ _Oh no, what if they want to check me all the time?_

"I need to have privacy in the bathroom and I don't want anyone to check my body like today, please, that will make things so much worse, please. I can't…I can't be sc-sc-scared like that all the time again."

Clint squeezed me tighter, "At this point, we are going to let you have privacy in the bathroom with the exception of FRIDAY closely monitoring your vitals. If your vitals get out of whack, we will check on you. So, if you are really upset or if you hurt yourself, those conditions will alert FRIDAY who will let us know. Understand?"

I didn't like the idea of FRIDAY spying on me but its better than having them looking at me. I nodded my understanding with a heavy sigh.

"Ok, so what have you been using to hurt yourself?"

Knowing I have no choice, I steeled myself to share the details. "I hid a razor in each place. There's one at home in the bathroom."

"Where in your bathroom?"

"It's in the box of bandages in the medicine cabinet."

"Ok," Clint sighed, trying to hide that he was upset. "How about at Tony's?"

"I hid the razor in the bottom drawer of my dresser. It's wrapped in a sock."

"How about here?"

"Inside the cotton swab box."

"Where did you get the razors?"

"I don't want to tell you that."

"Jamie, where did you get the razors?" Clint asked again with a stern edge to his words.

"I don't want you to be mad."

"You won't be in trouble. We just want you to be safe. Understand?" Laura comforted.

A few moments past before I reluctantly talked, "I took the first one from Tony's shaving kit while we were in Europe."

Clint nodded, listening carefully, then prompted me to continue, "What about the others?"

I sighed again, hating this talk. "I also took the other two from Tony but after we got back from the trip. He was with Peter in his workshop. I just went into his bathroom and took them."

"You're doing great, baby girl," Clint praised. "When do you usually hurt yourself?"

"It just depends on what's going on. In the bathroom mostly, usually at night when everyone's in bed but not always."

Clint kissed my head, "Thanks for sharing that with me."

"So, what are you guys going to do now?"

"We need to remove the razors so it will be harder for you to hurt yourself. We are going to have someone with you at all times again except for in the bathroom, at least at this point. You can have privacy in the bathroom but if you continue to hurt yourself, we will need to have someone with you in the bathroom too. Understand?"

I nodded feeling ashamed yet anxious that it will be harder to get relief when I need it. "What should I do if I want to hurt myself?"

"Talk to us, sweetie," Laura soothed. "When we know something is wrong, we can help."

"There isn't always something wrong. Sometimes I'm just freaking out."

"We will figure something out but I want you to let us know when you feel like hurting yourself."

"Then what?"

"We will do something like snuggle or talk about what's bothering you. Maybe we will go swimming or do some shooting or boxing," Clint suggested. "There are lots of things you can do instead."

"Ok," I acquiesced, accepting this was happening.

"Well, I think it's time to head home," Laura commented. "Cooper and Lila will be home from school soon."

"Ok, I'll get my backpack."

"Jamie, I think you should stay here for the time being," Clint said.

I felt like I was slapped. "You…you don't want me anymore?"

"No, baby girl that's not it; we still want you. With FRIDAY built into the system, we can keep a closer eye on you here."

 _I don't buy it. They probably don't want to deal with this anymore or maybe they don't want me around Lila and Cooper or maybe Laura doesn't want to deal with someone as messed up as me._

"Jamie," Laura began, seeing the panic attack starting, getting my attention by wrapping her arm around me and kissing my forehead. "We still love you very much. It's just temporary until we get a handle on the self-injury. Ok?"

I nodded but refused to look at her. "It's fine, just go."

"Honey—"

"Just go…please."

Laura looked at Clint, clearly concerned by my reaction but decided to go anyway.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"How are you feeling about staying here?" Clint asked.

"It's fine," I said before rolling over so I was laying on the bed instead of snuggling.

"Are you thinking about hurting yourself?"

"No."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired."

"Jamie, it's pretty obvious that you're upset. I want you to talk to me about it."

"You already know I'm upset about not being allowed to go home. What else is there to talk about?"

"What were you thinking when I said you needed to stay here?"

I sighed, frustrated, "This is stupid."

"I think we've gotten out of the habit of making you talk about things. So, you can talk to me here or we will do a talk circle in the living room."

"What, no!" A few seconds later, Tony, Steve, Nat, and Bruce entered my room. "Were you all listening?"

No one responded which completely infuriated me.

"Alright, let's go talk." Steve and Clint each took one of my arms, grasping right below my armpit and my forearm, pulling me toward the dreaded couch. Despite my best efforts to stop them, I was sitting in the middle seat within moments.

"I don't want to do this!" I yelled. I might as well have talked to a brick wall because no one even acknowledged that I was talking. "Are you listening to me? I don't want to talk to you, to any of you!"

Everyone continued to wait for me to calm down before making an attempt to talk to me.

"Are you ready?" Steve asked.

"No! I'm not ready and never will!"

"We can't leave here until you talk about how you're feeling," Clint informed me.

I continued to sit, arms crossed tightly against my chest. My stomach eventually started to growl so I know that we sat there until dinner time.

Tony looked around then said, "I need to go. Peter and I have an appointment this evening."

I blinked a few times, surprised. So, did everyone else. Clint spoke with a sharp edge, "Tony, we need to talk."

Both of them left the living room, Clint was angry. I also felt anger from Nat, Bruce, and Steve. Tony just seemed annoyed, maybe anxious.

* * *

"We told her we weren't leaving until she talked, so what do you do? Decide to leave," Clint chided.

"Peter also needs me, what am I supposed to do? Jesus, Clint, I've already spent most of the day here with her, leaving Peter alone in his quarters."

"Fine go. But you need to know that this is hurting her."

"She has all of you; Peter only has me."

"Yeah, but she's going to miss your presence as if she only had you."

"What am I supposed to do then?"

Clint paused, trying to justify insisting that Tony stay. Being a father of four, he knows that sometimes you have to do the best that you can and from Tony's perspective he was doing the best he could. "Dammit! No, Tony, you're right," Clint roughly rubbed the back of his head. "I know that you're doing what's best for both kids. Its hard not to think only in terms of what Jamie needs. You know she's already upset that you've been spending time with Peter when she's around. She feels rejected and now with Peter losing his aunt—"

"I know and that's on me but I can't ignore Pete right now."

"I know. We've got Jamie. You take care of Peter."

"Call me later with an update, alright?" Tony requested.

Clint nodded then Tony left to find Peter.

* * *

Clint came back to the living room after about five minutes without Tony. I looked at Clint, hoping for some indication that said Tony would be right back but when he looked at Steve on my left, he just shook his head. _Daddy left!_

Heavy sobs quickly raked through my body, pushing me into a full-blown crisis. Steve was still sitting next to me and Nat had moved to Clint's spot leaving only Bruce in front of my feet. Within seconds of the sobs beginning, I screamed and started to kick my legs and swing my fists. I made contact a few times with my feet and once or twice with my fists but I'm not sure who or what I hit or if I did damage. Clint jumped in quickly, helping Bruce control my legs while Nat and Steve controlled my arms. Only once I completely exhausted myself did my parents begin to loosen their hold and even then, they gradually let go over several minutes, always prepared to go right back into a hold.

With my body drained and mind numb, I sat slumped on the couch. No one said or did anything for a long time. It was Clint who made the first move, scooping me up. He carried me over to the adjacent couch then sat down positioning me on his lap with my head resting on his chest. Wrapping his right arm around me and holding my head with his left, Clint snuggled me and gently kissed the top of my head. "I love you, baby girl, and I know it may not feel like it right now but Tony loves you too."

I shook my head, not believing him.

"Remember how much you were hurting when your family died?"

I nodded.

"That's what Peter's going through right now. He also needs Tony. It's hard when a mom or dad has to balance more than one kid and its even harder when there are two kids who are upset. Peter only has Tony but you have all of us. Tony was here for awhile but he had to help Peter some too. Give Tony some time to figure out how to take care of both of you and give Peter some time to grieve just like you had to and still are."

I nodded again with a fresh round of tears.

"You know I love you, right?"

I nodded.

"You know that Laura loves you too?"

I nodded.

"We want what's best for you. Right now, you need to be monitored closely, which FRIDAY can help with. We want you to have privacy in the bathroom but we can only give you that right now if FRIDAY is helping. Understand?"

I nodded again then buried my face in Clint's chest. "I'm sorry I'm so bad."

Clint repositioned me so I was looking at him, "You haven't been bad. You've been struggling. We didn't know you were hurting, but now we do, so we will give you more time and attention to help you through this."

"Ok," I managed to mutter through my hitching sobs.

"Would you like me to stay here with you tonight?"

I nodded feeling calmer knowing Clint wanted to stay with me.

Clint continued to hold and comfort me for a long time, well into the night after I fell asleep.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Trigger warning-this chapter contains self-injury.**

 **Chapter 18**

I woke before dawn the next morning in my bed with Clint sleeping on the recliner that Tony left in my room from before when I had constant supervision. The events of the previous night raced through my mind. My head spun, distraught and desperate for relief, I took the opportunity that my dad sleeping provided to find something to cut with. Quietly padding to the kitchen, I opened the knife drawer where I found a paring knife about six inches long.

My heart pounded in my chest while my mind played through possible scenarios. Pulling down on the neck of my shirt, sliding the strap from my undershirt to the side, I held the knife next to my skin then pressed, light at first then harder, leaving a two-inch slice with a few beads of blood pooling along the red line. The release was immediate but I wanted more. I pulled my shirt a little further then took the knife's tip to my skin again but was interrupted by Clint and Steve then Nat and Bruce a few moments later.

"Jamie, stop!"

Startled, I jumped, dropping the knife on the floor with the clanking sound of metal hitting the tile floor. Once I realized that I'd been caught, I assessed my options for escape but found none—I was in the corner of the kitchen and they were standing in the walkway. The blood from my cut seeped through my shirt. Nat approached with her hands up from one side of the breakfast bar and Clint from the other.

"You're alright. We're not going to hurt you. We just want to make sure you're not hurt. Ok?"

I shook my head, not wanting either of them to come any closer. I glanced at the ground, debating whether or not I could reach the knife before they do but decided against trying. I knew they would do whatever it took to keep me from hurting myself but I hated it.

With the briefest of glances, Nat and Clint knew their respective parts in handling the situation. Nat made a beeline for the knife while Clint grabbed me bringing me into a restraint. I didn't fight the hold but stopped holding up my weight. Clint adjusted, gently guiding both of us to the ground.

My dad kept his hold on me, feeling more like a hug than a true restraint, maybe because I wasn't fighting against them. I didn't notice at first, but my cheeks were wet with tears. I wasn't thinking about anything in particular but longed for the comfort that I always found when hurting myself. They took it away from me.

"What happened?" Clint asked after a few minutes.

I shook my head, turning my face into his chest. Clint continued to hold me, rubbing my back with one hand and cradling the back of my head in the other. He placed a few kisses on the top of my head while his own body gradually relaxed.

"I'm tired," I deadpanned, hoping to just go back to my bed where only one person was likely to follow.

I felt Clint turn his head to look at the others, silently asking for input. Someone must have nodded because Clint allowed it. "Come on, I'll go with you."

Clint snuggled with me in my bed, lulling me off to sleep with his soothing touch while listening to the rhythmic beating of his heart.

I slept the rest of the night without waking up, Clint's presence warded off any potential bad dream that would have tried to seep in to claim my restful sleep.

I felt someone carding their fingers through my hair, initially incorporated into my dream, but then gently pulling me out of my slumber. Once I opened my eyes, I was met with Clint's adoring 'dad' smile that always made me feel loved.

"Hi baby girl."

"Hi Dad."

"Ready to get up yet, maybe get some breakfast?"

"Can we snuggle a bit longer first?"

"Sure, baby girl," Clint responded then squeezed tighter, placing a few gentle kisses on the top of my head.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about last night."

"Are you ready to talk about it?"

"I'm not sure there's much to say about it."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, I'm just not sure what to say."

"Well, I would like all of us to get together this morning to talk about what happened."

"Ok," I said defeated.

I could feel the surprise radiating from him at my response, perhaps because I didn't fight about talking.

Clint held me for a few more minutes until I initiated getting up.

Clint and I joined the others—minus Tony—in the kitchen, unable to hide the disappointment that I felt seeing he wasn't around.

"Good morning kiddo," Steve said, opening his arms up for me to climb onto his lap.

Steve's lap is one of my favorite places to be especially when he wraps his arms around me and cradles my head against his chest. I smiled contentedly, "Good morning Poppa."

"Did you sleep ok last night?"

I nodded, unwilling to start talking about what happened just yet.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Nat asked.

"Um, cereal, I guess," I mumbled without moving from my spot, my words sounded muffled against Steve's chest.

"I'll get it," Clint said, already beginning to pull out the needed items.

Hearing Clint's response, I looked up to see which cereal he would choose but the action wasn't necessary since we always ate Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Bruce's furrowed brow captured my attention. "Hi Bruce," I managed to utter, feeling his frustration and disappointment.

"Good morning," Bruce's tone earned him an icy glare from Nat.

Shame immediately set in, I looked down at my fingers, knowing that I messed up last night.

"Breakfast first," Nat chided, glaring at Bruce.

Clint set my bowl down in front of me before taking the seat adjacent to where I was sitting on Steve's lap. Knowing Bruce was upset with me, I lost my appetite.

"You need to eat," Bruce's tone remained unchanged despite Nat's warning.

"We need to talk," Nat rebuked in her cold, intimidating voice that even made Bruce cringe. Nat stood then walked out of the room. Bruce sighed but followed.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Nat scolded, furious with Bruce's comments.

"After everything we talked about, she snuck out during the night to hurt herself! Why? She should have woken Clint up, he was right there to help her."

"Yes, she should have but for some reason, which we don't know yet, she didn't. We need to help her to want to get better and to see us as the people who can help her. Snapping at her isn't going to foster the 'I want to help you' vibe!"

Bruce sighed heavily, roughly rubbing the back of his head, "Yeah…you're right. She just really scared me last night. I hate this."

She wrapped her arms around Bruce's midsection, "I know, I was scared too."

Bruce responded in kind, wrapping his arms around Nat, kissing the top of her head.

Nat smiled, "Do you think Jamie noticed that we're dating yet?"

Bruce chuckled, "You mean the girl that can sense other's feelings? No, I bet she hasn't noticed."

"When should we talk to her about it?" Nat asked.

"Well…presuming she already knows something is up, probably sooner than later."

* * *

Hoping to ease my mood, Clint asked, "What do you want to do today?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"We could swim, watch movies, go to the training room—what sounds good?"

"Can Mom come?"

Steve and Clint looked at each other briefly before Clint responded, "Maybe. I'll have to call her. Let's see what's going on after we all talk. Maybe you will think of something you want to do."

I nodded, but couldn't help the fear taking root that she didn't want to come. I tried to hide the stray tear that fell but Clint noticed.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Does she still want me?" I sputtered, unable to control my tears any longer.

"Yes. She definitely still wants you; she loves you," Clint sounded surprised by my reaction but was just as comforting as always. I nodded again, wiping my eyes, still not believing him though. _I couldn't go home and now Mom doesn't want to come see me._ Clint sighed, "Come here, baby girl."

I hesitated but complied, taking a seat on Clint's lap.

"Mom loves you very much. There are a few things she has to take care of today that will likely take right up until Cooper and Lila get home from school. So, I can ask her to stop by for a bit later if she has time. Ok?"

I nodded again, accepting his explanation.

"So, any ideas of what you would like to do today?"

"Can we shoot?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Clint said, smiling. "Go ahead and eat."

I pulled my bowl of cereal closer to me so I could eat while sitting on Clint's lap.

A few minutes later, Bruce and Nat returned to the kitchen. Bruce knelt down beside me when he saw my facial features change from content back to shame.

"I'm sorry I snapped earlier. I do love you, very much. Forgive me?"

I nodded with a few tears rolling down my cheeks. Bruce kissed them away. Everything felt ok again. I knew that I would have to talk about what happened with them but I was ok with that.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

When the final bite of Cinnamon Toast Crunch was consumed, Clint began, "First we will talk in the living room then we will shoot. Sound good?"

I sighed but nodded. Understanding the purpose of my trip to the living room, I sat on the dreaded middle seat of the couch, my seat for talk circles. Clint and Steve also took their places on either side of me and Nat and Bruce brought chairs over to sit directly in front of me. I kept my head down, feeling the all too familiar shame creeping back in.

"Am I in trouble?"

My parents looked at each other for a moment then Clint responded, "No honey, you're not in trouble. We want to understand why you chose to hurt yourself last night, when I was right there to help."

"I don't know," I responded mournfully knowing I messed up.

"Sorry kiddo, not good enough."

I whined, "I don't know what to say."

"Let's start with what you were thinking at the time."

"I was thinking that I wanted to hurt myself. I was frustrated the razors were gone so I decided to look for a knife in the kitchen."

"Ok, what were you feeling?"

I shook my head, not wanting to reveal my feelings.

"Jamie, we want to help but we need to know what was going on first. What were you feeling?"

I shook my head again.

"Do you trust us?"

I looked over at Clint in shock at his question then returned to looking at my hands. _Do I? I don't trust Tony anymore. I trust them but what if they stop wanting me around._

"Jamie…" Clint said then directed my gaze toward himself. Despite his efforts, I refused to make eye contact with him. "Why don't you trust us anymore?"

"I do, it's just…" I stopped myself from going any further.

"Just what?"

I remained quiet so Clint pulled me onto his lap cradling my head against his chest. "Just what, baby girl?"

"On the trip, Tony didn't listen to me anymore. Then when we got back, he only spent time with Peter. Now, he's not even here anymore," I lamented with a few tears running down my cheeks. "I always felt like it was risky to trust him but I really wanted to."

"So, you're afraid to really trust any of us?"

I nodded then turned my face into Clint's chest.

"Honey, you can trust Tony. He's trying to figure out how to make his new family work and now he needs to figure out how to add Peter to the mix. He definitely still loves you but he needs to take care of Pepper and now Peter as well as you. And truthfully, kiddo, it wasn't all that long ago that Tony struggled to just take care of himself."

Everyone chuckled at Clint's comment.

"Give him some time to figure out how to be a husband to Pepper and a father to two teenagers. I promise he does love you."

I nodded, only sort of believing his words.

"Does staying here instead of at the farmhouse feel like you've lost Laura and I too?"

I nodded again; my tears renewed unwelcomed. Clint held on tighter, kissing the top of my head.

"Laura and I love you like crazy. We don't want you to be here instead of with us. We want you at home where we can take care of you. But we think you are safer here with FRIDAY helping to look after you. I promise we still want you."

I nodded, accepting his words, my breath hitching as my sobs started to calm.

"We can go home but someone will need to check you if you are in the bathroom alone or you can leave the door open a few inches. Someone will also need to stay in your room at night. What do you think?"

 _I hate not having privacy in the bathroom. Is it worth being at home if I don't have privacy?_

"Ok. Maybe I can just stay here for now. I really like having the extra privacy."

"Ok. Let me know if you change your mind. Alright?"

I nodded, not moving from Clint's lap, soaking up the feelings of love and safety that enveloped me when I was with him.

"If you are having a problem during the night, wake someone up so we can help you through it. Will you do that for me?"

I nodded.

"Ready to shoot now?"

Sitting up to look at Clint, I smiled, relieved the talk circle was finally over.

Clint and I headed to the equipment lockers to gather up our shooting gear, me holding his hand for the added security. Clint didn't seem to mind. We got set up at our normal targets, shooting at-will. I loved to shoot with Clint, especially when he showed me some of his special moves.

I'm not sure if he brought me there because I tended to talk more to him about how I was feeling or not but I almost always did. "Dad, what if Tony decides I'm not worth the effort anymore? With getting married, his wife will be more important and Peter won't have anyone else. Can he un-adopt me?"

"Tony wouldn't do that?"

"How do you know?"

"Well, let's think about it. You are able to sense feelings; how does Tony feel about you?"

"He loves snuggling with me and talking to me when Pepper isn't around."

"What do you mean?"

"He's anxious when Pepper's around, like he's worried she will leave but he doesn't know what might cause it."

"Hmmm."

"What?" I asked, curious by his response.

"Well, you may be onto something. Pepper and Tony have been together several times and it has always ended. I imagine Tony is worried that she will leave if he messes up. He's new to being a dad so there's definitely anxiety about doing things right," Clint said, reflecting on my words. "What I said before still stands though, you need to give him some time to figure things out. Ok?"

"Ok."

"Are you worried about anything else?"

"No, not really."

"Sounds like there might be something."

I smiled, my dad knows me well. "Something is going on between Nat and Bruce."

Clint looked at me quizzically, "What do you mean?"

"I don't know for sure but I think they like each other, like _like-like_ each other."

"Oh, really? Hmm, I don't know. They haven't told me anything."

"I guess no matter what happens, any change feels scary."

Clint wrapped his arms around me, "Yeah, I get that, but we all do love you."

"I know."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

When we finished, Clint and I went back inside, dropping off our equipment at our lockers. Despite our talk, my heart was still torn between wanting Tony and being afraid of wanting him too much; really with all of them. Feeling insecure, I held Clint's hand walking back to the living quarters, trying to absorb good feelings.

"Welcome back. How was shooting?" Steve asked when we crossed the threshold into the kitchen.

"Great!" I responded, accepting his invitation to sit on his lap while Clint left for a few minutes.

"Are you doing ok?"

"I'm fine," I commented, looking away to avoid eye contact.

"Yeah?"

I nodded then said hi to Clint when he walked back into the room.

"Well, Laura said she'll stop over for a bit when she's done with Nathaniel."

"Oh, well, I don't think she should bother anymore. I'm going to start school now," I said then ran off to the school room.

I was sure they would make me talk about my abrupt departure but still planned to enjoy the reprieve that school offered. Tony wasn't available to teach calculus or physics so I started with the online lessons for language arts and social studies.

Once in my classroom, I powered up the laptop and logged into my school account. The online teacher's recorded lecture droned on in the background through my headphones but little information was actually being absorbed. My mind kept drifting back to Tony, Pepper, Peter and now Clint and Laura. They'd only been my adopted parents for a few months but I was already wondering if they regretted making such a hasty decision. _I really am bad and hard to be around. I don't know why I agreed to let them adopt me. I knew I would ruin things, I shouldn't have dragged them all into my life._ The power of my thoughts kept Steve's entrance a secret until his loud throat-clearing noise captured my attention. Reflected on my computer's monitor, I noticed Steve standing right inside the doorway with his arms crossed, leaning up against the door jam.

"What's up?" I asked while removing my headphones.

"Just checking on you."

"I'm fine, just doing some school work."

"The video ended…," Steve looked his watch then responded, "…seven minutes ago."

"Oh," I said sheepishly, knowing that I've been caught.

Steve pulled a chair over to my work desk, then took a seat. "What are you thinking about?" With his question, I diverted my eyes, hoping to keep my feelings hidden. "I want to help, we all do, but you need to be willing to talk to us."

"You already know what I'm thinking, it's the same stuff as this morning when I talked. Why do I need to go into it again?"

"Because it's not resolved yet. The purpose of the talk circle isn't just to give us information but to help you process what you're feeling."

I shrugged my shoulders, still refusing to look at Steve.

"Why don't you want Laura to come anymore?"

Needing a better way to hide my emotions than simply looking away, I turned back around to face the computer screen. "I…I don't want to know if she doesn't want me anymore. I would rather just stay away from her so I don't have to find out."

Steve stood then picked me up, wrapping me in one of his massive hugs, "Please don't do that. Laura will be absolutely crushed. She loves you so much. You really are one of her kids. She would do anything for you."

I shook my head, keeping my face tucked away in his chest.

"Ahem," Steve and I turned to see Clint standing just inside the room, looking at me. Clint reached his arms out toward me, prompting Steve to hand me over to Clint who sat in the chair where Tony usually sits for school. "Laura wants to come to spend time with you. I didn't have enough information this morning to promise that Laura would come. Last night, Nathaniel got pretty sick. He had a high fever and was throwing up. So, Laura needed to call the doctor this morning to get an appointment then take him to see the doctor."

"Oh," I uttered knowing I was just being too sensitive.

"We know that both you and Nathaniel needed us so we each took a kid to take care of. That's how it works with parenting multiple kids—you know, divide and conquer. Laura was able to get an appointment today for eleven so she can come here this afternoon and I will go take care of Nathaniel."

My only response was to cuddle into Clint's chest, taking a few steadying breaths.

"I'm sorry Dad."

"You don't have to apologize. Just know that we really do love you and want you and want to take care of you when you are struggling."

"Ok."

"How about some lunch? Laura will be ready to switch with me soon.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

As promised, Laura showed up around the same time that I finished eating lunch. Dr. Strange helped Clint get home quick then brought Laura back through with him.

"Hi, Mom!" I boomed running over to her, wrapping my arms around her unable to hold back my tears of relief more than anything.

"Hi sweetheart, how are you?"

"Better now."

Laura smiled at my response, loving that her presence helped me.

"How long can you stay?"

"As long as you want, little honey. What would you like to do?"

"Snuggle and watch a movie."

"Sounds wonderful."

Nat set up the TV for us, accessing the newest Disney movie that was still out in theaters. Laura and Nat chatted for a few minutes about updates with the kids. I always seemed to forget that they are friends. With Laura sitting at one end of the couch, I leaned up against the pillow she placed on her lap for me. The time with Laura felt amazing, her rhythmic rubbing of my forehead putting me to sleep within minutes.

* * *

"How's she really doing?" Laura asked Nat once Jamie's breathing evened out.

"With everything going on with Tony, she's afraid of losing him. Overly sensitive, but I understand why. Clint hesitated when she asked if you could visit her today but didn't tell her it was because of the unknowns with your schedule. She was afraid that his hesitation meant you didn't want to be around her. Once Clint explained the situation with Nathaniel, she seemed better after that."

"Is Tony pushing her away?"

"He's trying to make things work with Pepper. I think he's just scared of losing her again by doing something stupid so he's trying to do whatever she wants. Sometimes that means telling Jamie 'no' to something he normally would have said 'yes.' She seems to have some resentment from that and, with Jamie's attitude, Pepper has backed off some, too."

"Sounds like Tony set up the perfect storm for exactly what he was trying to avoid."

"Yes, he did," Nat confirmed. "A couple nights ago, Peter's aunt died. Tony's going to take him in."

"Oh no. Poor Peter. So now she feels like she will have to compete with Pepper _and_ Peter," Laura commented connecting all the dots.

"Right."

"Has anyone talked to Tony about all of this."

"Not yet. With the extra care that Peter needs right now, Tony hasn't been around. Hopefully within the next week or so we will be able to meet with him and Pepper."

"Clint mentioned she wants to come to the farmhouse instead of just staying here. What's that about?"

"I think being told she couldn't go made her feel rejected. I don't think with the concession we offered that she will choose to go."

"What concession?"

"She will need more supervision in the bathroom and to be checked afterward."

"Oh, yeah, she hates that. My guess is she will choose to stay here instead."

"I agree."

"I don't like the idea of her having to make that choice though. Maybe the AI thing can be set up in her room or something so she doesn't have to choose."

"I can talk to the guys about it. We'll likely need Tony to set that up."

Laura nodded then looked down at the sleeping girl, "It broke my heart when she shared with us what's been going on. I'm really happy that she felt safe enough to talk about it with me there."

"She's come a long way in a short time," Nat commented.

"We should discuss holiday plans," Laura suggested changing the subject. "Obviously, I would love for her to be with us but I know we have to share. Everyone could come to our house for Thanksgiving. My parents are going to my brother's house this year so it would just be us."

"I'll mention it to the boys."

"Mention what to the boys," Bruce said when he and Steve entered the room a few seconds later.

"Laura asked about plans for Jamie for the holidays," Natasha explained. "She offered to make Thanksgiving dinner for all of us."

Bruce and Steve looked at each other with big grins and nodded. "That sounds great. We don't typically do much here except maybe order take out or pick up something from the commissary. It will be nice to have a traditional holiday meal," Bruce said with a smile.

"Yeah, we should celebrate together. I don't know what Tony will do. We'll have to make plans with him as well, just in case he's already thinking about having something with Pepper's family. I know Tony mentioned wanting Jamie to meet her parents," Steve explained.

A slight hint of sadness crossed Laura's face, but only Nat picked up on her friend's feelings. Nat offered, "Even if Tony does have plans, we can work around them so everyone can spend time with Jamie."

Laura nodded, accepting that she may have to share Jamie on holidays. Steve noticed Laura's unease so he changed the subject, "How's she doing?"

"Ok. She asked to watch a movie then fell asleep. Nat explained what's been going on."

"Ok, good. I'm glad you were able to come today. How's Nathaniel?"

"It's just a stomach bug," Laura explained. "We were afraid with the high fever that he had the flu but the test came back negative. Clint is home with him now."

Bruce nodded, "I'm happy to hear it's not the flu, he's pretty young to go through that. Did he get a flu shot this year?"

"His appointment is next week."

"Did Jamie decide what she's going to do this evening?" Steve asked.

"No, we didn't talk much before she fell asleep. She seemed tired. Did she sleep ok last night? Clint mentioned she had some trouble but he didn't get a chance to tell me about it."

"She woke up during the night, hurt herself in the kitchen with a knife."

Laura blanched at Steve's words. "Did she tell you why?"

"Well, she's still afraid of losing us. Right now, she's worried about losing Tony."

"Ok, yeah, Nat told me about that situation," Laura said. "What's the plan? Did anyone talk to the child psychologist yet?"

"We called her yesterday and again today," Steve responded. "She's out of town this week visiting family but fortunately was willing to talk to us for a bit."

"What did she say?"

"Just that setbacks are to be expected with everything that she's been through especially when combined with the changes that Tony's going through with getting married and Peter moving in. We are increasing supervision again and, now that we are aware of the problem, we are making her talk to us more."

"Oh, I bet she's loving that," Laura quipped, knowing just how much Jamie hates when she's confronted. Everyone chuckled. Laura added, "I would like to see if Tony can install FRIDAY at the farmhouse or at least on Jamie so she can still be monitored."

"He might be able to add the health monitoring to her necklace but the concern would be that she would just remove it," Bruce commented.

"Maybe an alarm could sound if it's removed," Laura pressed, wanting a viable option to have Jamie home again.

"We may be able to set that up, I'll call Tony," Bruce said.

"You rang," Tony quipped, hearing Bruce's response to Laura.

With that, Jamie bounced up, having heard Tony talking.

"Daddy," Jamie boomed, jumping up from her resting spot then running into Tony's waiting arms.

"Hi, baby girl! How are you?"

"I'm ok. How are you?"

"Better now."

Jamie smiled brightly at Tony's response. "How's Peter?"

Tony nodded, his expression grim. "He's hurting, but ok."

"Did he come with you?"

"Yeah, he's in his room."

"Can I visit him?" Jamie asked Tony then looked around at Steve, Bruce, Nat, and Laura who looked at each other. They were clearly uneasy with the request.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. You can visit for a bit," Steve responded, everyone deferring to his leadership. "I'll come with you."

"You don't have to come with me, I know the way."

"Jamie," Steve chided. "I'm coming with you."

Jamie looked over at Laura, trying to decide if she's going to fight Steve on this. With a deep breath, Jamie nodded then walked next to Steve.

With Jamie out of the room, Tony took a seat on the couch and asked, "So how's she doing?"

Nat began, "You have her spooked. She's afraid you're going to stop wanting her."

"I'm doing the best that I can," Tony defended.

"I know you are but you asked how she was doing."

Tony sighed, "Tell me what I should do."

"Is there anything going on this evening with Peter?"

"No, the funeral is the day after tomorrow. We already made all the arrangements."

"Let us spend time with Peter and you spend some time with Jamie."

Tony nodded.

"You should talk to Jamie about Pepper. She feels like you are choosing Pepper instead of her."

"Dammit!" Tony huffed under his breath.

"Tony, Jamie loves you. She's still learning to trust us and anytime anything out of the ordinary happens, it's going to put her through the ringer, at least for a while," Bruce explained.

"Yeah, I know. I just don't know how to keep everyone happy. I can't do what everyone wants when they want different things."

"It's not about doing what everyone wants," Laura chimed in. "It's about letting everyone know you love them regardless of what you decide to do. What Jamie really wants is quality time with you. She will also need quality time with Pepper. From what I understand, Pepper has been out of town on weekends when she's been at your place."

Tony nodded with a grimace. "I think she's trying to give Jamie time with me without her around."

"Sometimes that's ok but she also needs time with Pepper and time when all of you are together, that includes Peter," Laura explained. "She needs time to build bonds with each of you separately as well as part of a family unit."

Tony nodded. "Any more self-injury?"

"Just once during the night," Nat replied.

"Damn, what happened? Someone was with her, right?"

"Yes, Clint was with her. She snuck out during the night while he was asleep. FRIDAY warned us so we were able to jump in before she did too much."

"Snuck out, to where?"

"Kitchen, she used a knife. It wasn't deep enough to need stitches."

Blood drained from Tony's face, as he thought about how easy it was for his daughter to find something else to harm herself with. "We can add a lock to the knife drawer."

"Tony, we can't hide everything," Bruce responded. "We asked FRIDAY to let us know if she leaves the bedroom at all during the night including if she goes into her bathroom. Our hope is to be available to support her instead of just add more frustration from not having access to something that she can use to hurt herself."

"Yeah, ok. That makes sense," Tony utters still in shock from the news. "Was she upset about me?"

Nat and Bruce looked at each other, silently communicating what and how to say it. Bruce responded, "She's afraid of losing us, so no, not specifically about you."

"But about losing me because I don't know how to do this right."

"Tony, stop. That's not fair to you."

"Not fair to me! Jesus, Bruce, she cut herself with a knife in the middle of the night because she's afraid that she'll lose me. It sounds like I haven't been fair to her."

"Just spend some time with her, love on her. Remind her that you love her no matter what," Bruce offered. "Help the relationship between her and Pepper grow. Help her to see that she fits into the family you are creating with Pepper and Peter. She will be ok. Remember Jen explained how she'll likely struggle with this at times, especially with big changes in her life."

Tony nodded, avoiding eye contact and talking while he struggled with his own guilt and fear.

Bruce moved to sit on the coffee table directly in front of Tony, "Hey, listen to me Tony, don't tear yourself apart over this. We all know you are doing your best and your best will be enough. It's just an adjustment for her and all of you."

Tony nodded again, accepting his friend's words.

"They've been gone for a while, I'm going to go check on them," Tony commented.

"I'll come too," Bruce added then the two left the room.

Bruce and Tony entered Peter's room, deeming it ok since the door was opened a crack. The pair moved to stand next to Steve watching Jamie and Peter playing video games, both kids laughing and having fun.

"How's it going in here?" Tony quietly asked Steve.

"Jamie is very intuitive when someone is sad. She knew exactly what to say and do to help," Steve responded.

"We decided to keep Peter with us tonight, while Jamie spends some time with Tony," Bruce explained.

"Ok good. She needs that," Steve responded. "Are you guys ok or do you want me to tag along like I did when she was at Clint's over the summer?"

"I think we'll be ok. She's been at our place several times now."

"Does she still have a room there?"

"We haven't officially moved Peter's things in so the room is still set up for Jamie. We have begun building a new room near Pepper and I for her."

"Ok. Sounds good. Let me know if you guys need anything. I'm sure Dr. Strange would be willing to bring me over if needed."

"Ok. Thanks, Cap," Tony responded then moved to sit next to Jamie and Peter. "Hey Pete, how do you feel about hanging out here tonight with the gang?"

"That sounds great, Mr. Stark."

"Ok, good. Jamie, I was wondering if you would like to come back to the tower with me tonight."

"Um," Jamie responded then looked at Steve and Bruce who both smiled. "Yeah, sure, ok."

Tony smiled but noticed her hesitation. "Are you ready to go?"

"Um, yeah. I want to say goodbye to Laura first. Is that ok?"

"Absolutely."

Jamie said goodbye to Peter then followed Tony back to the private living quarters. "Will Peter get to move to our side of the compound now?"

"Well, if he wants to, he can. Would you like that?"

"Yeah, it would be cool to have Peter closer to hang out with whenever I want."

Once Tony and Jamie entered the living room, Jamie ran over to Laura. "Thanks so much for coming to visit me. I really missed you."

"I missed you, too, sweetheart. Have fun with Tony, ok?"

"Ok, Mom. Love you."

"Love you, too."

Nat helped Jamie gather up a few needed items then gave the girl a hug, sending her off with Tony.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

The girl sat quietly while her mind raged with questions and fears. Every so often, Tony stole a glance at his daughter seeing the range of emotions cross her face. There have been few times in Tony's life when he truly did not know what to say, this was one of them. Jamie was sensitive, Tony knew, so he had to handle her with care. The trick will be allowing Jamie to share her feelings without him getting defensive with her.

After taking a deep breath to steel and calm himself, Tony began, "I have really been missing you lately."

"I've missed you, too."

"Honey, I'm really sorry. I haven't been doing such a great job at being your dad. I really am trying though."

"I know, Daddy. It's hard sometimes."

"What makes it hard, baby girl?"

"I want things to work out between you and Pepper and I know Peter needs you. I have everyone else, too, but I'm still afraid that you won't want me anymore if Pepper gets tired of me," tears ran down Jamie's cheeks as she confessed her fears. "And now that Peter needs you more, you might forget about me because now you'll have a better kid."

"Honey, I could never forget you and stop wanting you. You are my daughter, mine," Tony said, willing his daughter to believe him. "I understand the stuff with Pepper because I've been afraid of losing her like the other times when I've messed up. I don't want to mess up being your dad and I don't want to mess up being her husband. I'm trying to figure out how to do both well. It's important to me that I'm good at both."

"Thanks Daddy."

"For what?"

"For not giving up on me. I was surprised when you said I was going to your house tonight. Will Pepper be there?"

"Yes. I want the three of us to spend time together and I want you and Pepper to spend some time together and of course I better get some time with my girl too. Sound good?"

"Yeah. Are you sure Pepper wants to spend time with me? It felt like she was avoiding me some of the other times that I was at the house."

"Yes, she definitely does. She's nervous, though."

"Nervous? About what?" The girl asked surprised.

"About whether you will accept her as a mother."

"Really? Why?"

"She wasn't around for the first couple months that we had you and I think she's afraid that I will choose you instead of her."

"Oh. That's so crazy. We're all afraid that we will lose each other."

"Yeah, it is crazy. So, do me a favor…I want you to try to spend time with her and to be open to all of us spending time together. Ok?"

"Ok," Jamie said still feeling nervous, but wanting to make things better for Tony and Pepper.

"Daddy?"

"What's up?"

"Are you going to adopt Peter?"

Stunned, Tony took several seconds to formulate his response. "I'm not sure. It will be a family decision. What do you want?"

"I don't know. It will be weird having Peter as my brother but I do like hanging out with him."

"Does Pepper know I'm coming tonight?"

"Not yet."

"Please tell her before we get there. I don't want her to be disappointed when she sees me and not Peter."

"She won't be disappointed but I will call her, ok?"

"Thanks Daddy."

* * *

I put on my headphones, turning up the music on my iPod so I couldn't hear Tony talking to Pepper, just in case she was upset. I wish there was such a thing as headphones for my special powers because I could sense Tony's feelings as if they were sirens blaring. Based on his intense anger and frustration, I was pretty sure Pepper was upset that I was coming. After several minutes, Tony pressed the end call button on the car's display screen on the front of the dash board. He was still seething, his knuckles white from how tightly he squeezed the steering wheel. Tony looked over at me a few times.

After a few moments, I took a deep breath then turned to him, "What did she say?"

"Everything's fine, honey."

"No, it's not. You're super angry."

Tony sighed heavily, "Ok, yes. She's angry that I let Peter stay behind. She thinks that I'm being irresponsible."

"I'm sorry I'm causing problems. You can take me back."

"I'm not going to do that. Remember, I told you that we're a pair. I'm not going to send you away because Pepper is upset and, besides, Pepper's not mad that you are coming, she's mad because I didn't bring Peter."

"But Peter's relieved there's some distance from the city."

"What do you mean?"

"He's still sad but everything in the city reminds him of his aunt, he needed the break. Besides, he loves hanging out with everyone and they don't have a direct connection with his aunt."

Tony looked at me puzzled at first then a light of understanding began to gleam in his eyes.

"I assumed that's why I was going to your house."

"Jamie!" Tony's raised voice startled me, causing me to wince. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. But, no, I'm taking you to my place for some quality time together. The only connection with Peter is that since he's been needing more attention, I haven't been giving you the attention you need. Ok?"

I nodded, accepting his words. "I'm sorry."

Tony pulled the car over, bringing it to rest in an emergency pull off spot, putting the vehicle in park, then looked at me. "Why are you apologizing?" Tony questioned with a sharpness to his words.

"I…I don't know. I…" I sighed, ashamed and insecure. "I'm so afraid of losing you."

"Why? Have I made you think that your position in my life is that fragile?"

"No…it's just…"

"Yes?" Tony demanded.

Tears flowed down my cheeks, "I've lost everyone that I've ever loved. I feel like it's only a matter of time before I lose everyone again."

Tony's features softened. "Baby girl, we aren't going anywhere. We love you," Tony said putting his hand along my cheek to comfort me. "Things are hard right now between me getting married soon and now Peter joining our family, but you will always be mine. Forever."

"Thanks Daddy."

"You still seem sad, what's going on?"

"I don't want to be the cause of you not getting to be happy with Pepper. I want things to work out for you."

Tony smiled affectionately, "We will work on it. If things don't work out between Pepper and me then its on Pepper and me, not you. It's hard for her, too, I'm a handful."

I chuckled then fell into a full on laughing fit when Tony feigned a hurt and innocent expression.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Pepper smiled and gave me a hug, "Hi honey, do you mind waiting in your room? I have to talk to your dad."

"Um ok. Pepper?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry," Pepper said, shocked. "For what, baby?"

"For causing trouble and being a pain and for making you mad."

Pepper stood there gaping at me, shocked by what I'd said. "Honey, why…why do you think that?"

"Whenever I'm around, you seem upset and I can tell you want to leave."

The woman blinked a few times then responded, "Let's sit down in the living room. Tony?"

"Yes, let's have a chat," Tony said then guided Pepper and me to the couch.

I sat on the closest couch and Pepper and Tony sat beside each other on the adjacent couch.

Pepper started, "What's going on?"

"I feel like maybe you don't want me around."

Pepper moved to sit next to me then placed her arm around my shoulders, "I want you, I really do. I'm just still trying to figure out my role in your life."

"Your role?" I asked confused.

"Yeah, my role. Am I your mom, too; am I your stepmom; am I more like an aunt or a friend? What do you want?"

I looked at my fingers then to Tony. "I assumed you'd be my mom, too. I thought maybe you didn't want to be my mom but felt forced into it."

"No, honey, I don't feel forced into being your mom. Jamie, you have turned Tony into the wonderful man that he was always meant to be. I saw it there but it took you to show him how. I want to be a part of this life with you and Tony."

"Then why did you want to stay away when I was here?"

"I thought you would want to spend time with your dad. I know you don't get much time with him anymore."

I chose not to respond, remembering the times she was gone and Tony was with Peter. A few tears fell down my cheeks baring my feelings which Tony recognized immediately. "I'm sorry that I left you up here alone while I worked with Peter in the lab."

I nodded, acknowledging his apology but not quite accepting it.

With a gentle finger under my chin, Tony guided my gaze to his own, "I mean it. I'm really sorry. You need to know that. With Peter moving in, I promise to try to be more aware of what's going on with you and to spend time with you, too."

Pepper nodded, "I will, too. I want all of us to become a family."

"So, you really don't mind becoming a mom to teenagers?"

"No, I don't. I love the idea of being a mom but never felt I had time to have a baby. I think this is the perfect set up for me," Pepper said with a smile, squeezing me a little tighter. "Feeling better?"

I nodded feeling Pepper's and Tony's love for me and for each other. I think they both love each other more when they are loving toward me, probably the same with Peter.

Tony chimed in, "Want to see your new room, or at least the part that's finished?"

"Sure."

The three of us walked down the hallway on the opposite side of my old room. We stopped right in front of Tony's office. Tony smiled when I looked at him with a puzzled look. He likes to surprise me. Tony winked then opened the door.

The room has been transformed from the contemporary sleek office to a cream and purple themed bedroom. The oversized shiny wooden desk has been replaced with a king-sized bed with four tall cream-colored posts at each corner with a purple, cream, and silver flower patterned duvet. Along the opposite wall, a flat screen TV is mounted on the wall with a cabinet of equipment just underneath. A walk-in closet and bathroom are currently under construction along the adjacent wall. "How are you able to fit a closet and bathroom in here?"

"We moved our bathroom to the other wall so you will actually have our old bathroom and closet. We already closed up the entrance from our room. The bathroom is usable today but we will be completely updating it. Any ideas of what you want in your bathroom?"

"Well, I mean a sink would be nice."

"Yes, silly. I plan to have a sink, toilet and a shower. Would you like a separate soaking tub with a standing shower?"

"Ooh, yes. Can the tub have those bubble makers?"

"Jets? Absolutely, anything you want."

"I want everything that feels good."

Tony smiled, bringing me in for a hug and kissing the top of my head. Pepper smiled, too.

Once we finished with the tour of my new room, Pepper asked, "What would you like for dinner?"

"Um, pizza."

Pepper debated whether or not to honor my request, thinking something healthier should be served no doubt but she decided against it. "Sure. FRIDAY, can you order us two large pepperoni pizzas?"

"Your order will be here in twenty minutes," the AI informed us.

"Ok, so with that part done," Tony asked, "What should we do while we wait?"

"Can we snuggle on the couch?"

Tony grinned, "Sure thing."

Pepper offered, with the slightest hint of sadness, "I'll get the plates and drinks ready."

"But…" I began unsure if I really wanted to finish, "…don't you want to snuggle, too?"

Tears formed along Pepper's eyes then she nodded, "I would love to snuggle with you."

The three of us walked to the couch with Pepper's arms wrapped around me and Tony's arms around both of us. I sat down first then my new mom and dad each took a place on either side of me. I laid my head against Tony but reached for Pepper's hand to hold. The time past too quickly, before long the pizza arrived pulling me from the comfort of my parents' embrace.

Pepper, Tony, and I sat down at the kitchen table, each taking turns selecting slices of pizza and pouring drinks. Conversation was slow, awkward. Fortunately, it didn't take long to eat a few slices of pizza. Once done eating, I asked to go to my room.

"Sorry, kiddo, not right now. We're going to play some games together," Tony said with purpose.

"Ok, what game?" I asked, deciding against fighting him on this.

"Skip-Bo."

"Skip-Bo? How do you play?"

"Come on, we'll show you."

It was hard to believe a whole hour went by. The three of us had so much fun playing together. "Ready for a movie?"

"Yeah, can we have popcorn, too?"

Pepper responded, "Sure. I'll make some. You and Tony get the movie set up."

"What movie do you want to watch?"

"Beauty and the Beast."

"Really?" Tony asked incredulously.

I nodded, sporting a huge grin knowing how much Tony will hate having to watch the movie.

Pepper returned a few minutes later with a large bowl of popcorn. "Beauty and the Beast? How did you get him to agree to that?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "Um, he asked what I wanted."

Pepper chuckled. "I haven't seen this movie in years. I always loved it."

"Me too!" I boomed.

Without planning to do so, Pepper and I belted out the opening song in unison, each with an ear to ear cheesy grin.

* * *

Normally, Tony would have taken the display as his cue to leave, find a project to immerse himself in down in his lab, but watching his girls—his fiancé and his daughter—absolutely enjoying themselves fills him with so much love. He couldn't even pretend to be irritated with the musical children's movie, not when the women in his life were so thoroughly enjoying it.

Once the action started, Jamie snuggled up against Tony. He smiled every time Jamie's face lit up with whatever emotion the movie elicited. At the movie's climax, when all hope appeared to be lost for the beast, Jamie shed a tear. Tony pulled the girl in closer, kissing her temple.

"I think that's the first movie you've watched with me start to finish."

"It's the first movie that I picked when we've watched a movie together."

Tony chuckled, acknowledging the truth in her words.

Pepper chimed in, "Well, it's nine thirty, bedtime."

"No, I don't want to go to bed yet. Can we keep snuggling?"

Pepper looked over at Tony to jump in.

"Sorry, kiddo. Pepper's right. It's time for bed but I'll read you a story once you're in bed. Sound good?"

"Ugh, fine!" Jamie yelled, stomping off to her bedroom.

"Stop!" Tony chided, stopping Jamie in her tracks. "Get back here and try that again without stomping."

Jamie turned around, walked back to the couch then stomped off again with more force in each step.

"Stop!" Tony yelled, but this time Jamie didn't stop moving but continued to her room and slammed the door.

Pepper stepped in before Tony could yell at the girl again. "Tony, you said the psychologist mentioned to expect this kind of behavior, especially with us while she is settling into the changes here. Right?"

Tony roughly rubbed his hand through his hair, his anger still evident in the deep red of his cheeks. He managed a jerky nod then took a few deep breaths. "We're not supposed to punish her beyond a few minutes in the corner at this point but what I want to do is tan her ass."

"Right, but that would likely set off her PTSD and be traumatic instead of discipline. So, what's your game plan?" Pepper asked, talking Tony down from his anger and helping him to deal with the issue with a level head.

"I'm going to go in there, confront her on her behavior. I'll have her stand in the corner after we talk for about five minutes then hold her afterward," Tony responded, recalling how Clint handled the last problem behaviors at the compound.

"Do you think you're calm enough to handle her now?"

Tony nodded at his soon to be wife, grateful she's there with him so he doesn't mess this up. After a few deep breaths, Tony knocked on Jamie's door.

"Come in," Came a soft, repentant voice from the other side of the door.

Tony slowly opened the door, taking in the scene with caution. With tears streaking her cheeks, Jamie sat on her bed, hugging her teddy bear close to her chest. Although filled with anger a few minutes ago, Tony's heart broke for his daughter.

"What happened out there?" Tony asked with a kind voice, taking a seat along the edge of the bed.

"I'm so sorry, Daddy. I just wanted more time with you and I was mad that Pepper told me to go to bed."

"Mad that Pepper specifically told you to go to bed?"

Jamie nodded.

"Why does that bother you?"

"I don't know, it just does."

"Hmm," Tony began. "We will have to figure that out since she's going to be your mom."

"I know."

"I said that I would read you a story once you were in bed so you were still going to get extra time with me."

"I'm sorry. Please don't be mad," the girl begged.

"I'm not mad. I am, however, disappointed. Go stand in the corner until I tell you to come out."

"But Daddy—"

"Go, now," Tony admonished sternly.

Jamie's tears turned into sobs as she moved into the corner. The gut-wrenching sobs tugged at Tony's heart, bringing a few of his own tears. The time-out lasted two minutes, the longest amount of time Tony could handle. "Jamie, come here."

Jamie quickly left the corner, running into Tony's waiting arms. "I'm so sorry, Daddy, I'm so sorry."

Her sobs continued for several minutes while Tony cradled her head against his chest, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "Ok, ok. Shh. Come on now, calm down. Everything is fine. I still love you very much, baby girl."

Pepper joined the two, taking over the job of rubbing Jamie's back. "I'm sorry, Pepper," Jamie whispered quickly followed by another round of heavy sobs.

Pepper was surprised by the level of emotion the girl showed over being sent to the corner for stomping off to her room. _Didn't most teenagers act like that without a second thought and wouldn't most be enduring a much stiffer punishment?_ "What's wrong, baby? Why are you still crying?" Pepper asked with a soft tone, not wanting to upset the girl further.

Jamie rambled, word vomiting her feelings without making much sense to Pepper. Tony, however, understood. "Time with Daddy…missed him…won't be important anymore…new room…things keep changing…losing everyone…Bruce and Nat…stand in corner…"

Despite not following her meaning, Pepper listened patiently, continuing her ministrations.

When the girl calmed, Tony began, "Baby girl, I didn't forget about you and I never will. We did have lots of fun together, all of us. We need more times like this and I plan on making sure it happens. And with Peter moving in, we will all need to spend time together as a family. Peter will have to get used to a whole new life, too, just like you did and still are really. All of us are aware of how difficult the changes are but we all want you in our lives. I promise, kiddo, I won't forget about you. I love you."

Jamie nodded, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"Should we do the double tuck?" Tony asked with a smile. "I've been wanting to do that again since Europe."

Jamie looked over at Pepper, unsure of how she would respond to Tony's suggestion. Much to her delight, Pepper smiled brightly, waiting for Jamie's response. She nodded shyly, her smile growing bigger as they each took a side then snuggled in close.

"How about that story now?" Tony asked.

Jamie smiled and nodded, snuggling against Tony's shoulder for the story. Between Tony's soft voice and Pepper's gentle strokes, Jamie was asleep in minutes.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"You're a wonderful father, Tony," Pepper noted, when Tony closed the book.

Tony smiled, looking down at his daughter, "It's not me, it's her. She's the one who deserves the credit."

"She absolutely adores you."

Tony chuckled softly, "Yeah and I have no idea why. Somehow this amazing, sweet girl accepts me as her dad." Tony placed a kiss on the sleeping form next to him, cooing over his girl. "I love her so much."

"This evening went well, right?" Pepper asked.

Tony nodded then chuckled to himself, "Yes, I would say that the two of you bonded over the most annoying movie ever made. Just my luck."

"It felt like we shared something special. I hope it continues to grow."

"Pep, don't worry about it. Jamie's one of the most accepting, loving people I know. This is the girl that swooned the Hulk, remember?"

Pepper smiled, "That's right. So, what's the next few days going to look like?"

"Well tomorrow, Jamie and I will head back to the compound and check on Peter. Either we will all stay there or Peter and I will come back here. We don't want Jamie to go to May's funeral though. It will likely be a trigger for her PTSD."

Pepper nodded her agreement, "From what I've heard, I think you're right. What did Jen say?"

"Um, I don't know. I haven't talked to her since everything happened."

"Oh," Pepper said with a hint of disappointment.

"'Oh' what?"

"I'm just surprised that you didn't check in with the psychologist about this since it's turning out to be such a big change for Jamie, especially with how much she's been struggling to deal with it."

Tony stifled an angry retort, recognizing she was right. Of course, he should have discussed this with Jen. This oversight being one more example of how Tony Stark makes a terrible father.

"Tony, stop," Pepper scolded, only continuing to speak when he looked at her. "There has been a lot going on with Peter. You're Ironman not Superman."

Tony chuckled at the reference. "She needs me to be a great dad."

"Yes, she does and whether or not you believe it, you are," Pepper corrected. "Tony, I always knew you were a good person, despite the persona you put out there for the rest of the world. You, Tony Stark, are kind and generous and sacrificial; a real superhero. And I don't just mean because you were smart enough to make a shiny suit that flies and shoots laser beams."

Tony smiled, chuckling at the 'laser beams' comment. "I don't know about all that but I love her, Pep. I really do. When she acted out tonight and I realized that I needed to discipline her, I almost vomited. Sending her to the corner, sobbing like that…it nearly broke me."

"That's the first time you disciplined her?"

"Well, besides the mess I made in Europe, yes. I've seen Clint do it a few times but she doesn't need it much, at least not yet. Jen recommended that we begin slow, with a few minutes in the corner," Tony sighed heavily thinking about the new procedure for handling problem behaviors. "Every time we do it, she acts like we've told her she has to leave or something. That's why we spend so much time comforting her afterward. She absolutely still needs that affirmation."

"Makes sense. She's lost everything and everyone in her life before. I imagine she never wants to feel like that again."

Tony wiped away a stray tear. "I know what that feels like. I think that's why I wanted her with us. When the nurse at the hospital said she would be going into the foster care system, I knew I had to save her."

Pepper carded her fingers through his hair, enjoying whenever he talked about his daughter, loving how his face lit up. "Sounds like you're both lucky to have each other."

"You and Jamie are my life, my everything," Tony said then paused. "I guess I should add Peter to that list now, too. I have a son and a daughter. It's hard to believe that I'm a parent. After my father…well I never saw myself having a family. Even six months ago, if you would have told me I would be a father, I would have thought you were crazy."

Pepper chuckled, remembering _that_ Tony

The two sat in comfortable silence, enjoying the time together as a family. "She's so adorable, I could watch her sleep all night," Tony cooed, brushing a few strands of hair from her face.

"Me too but we should let her sleep."

Tony nodded then began to lift his daughter from his chest, placing her gently on her pillow. Once they were out of the room and the door closed silently, Tony said, "FRIDAY, let me know if she wakes up and of course alert me of changes in vitals."

"Will do, sir," the AI responded softly matching Tony's tone.

It wasn't more than a couple hours before FRIDAY warned Tony that Jamie was out of bed following a nightmare. He trudged his way next door to his daughter's bedroom to check on her.

"Knock, knock. You alright?"

"I'm fine, Daddy," Jamie said dismissively

"Hmm, you look upset. Want me to hold you for a while?"

Concern set in when Jamie didn't answer, usually an offer to be held or to be snuggled resulted in an emphatic 'yes.' Tony padded closer, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. "Jamie?"

The girl took in a deep steadying breath. "I'm fine. I'm going back to bed now. Good night."

"Jamie?" Tony repeated, refusing to allow her to dodge him.

"Please. I'm really tired," The girl said, turning over in the bed while pulling the covers up to her chin. Her attempts to dismiss him were unsuccessful.

Tony pulled the covers down a few inches then spoke, "Did you have a bad dream?"

Her heavy sigh, the telltale sign that she's given up, prompted Tony to wait a few more seconds to see if Jamie would answer on her own. "Yes."

"Want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Can I hold you?"

Several seconds past before she responded, "I don't want you to get tired of me."

"Where did that come from?"

"You should go back to bed. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Ok, well now I'm definitely staying here."

"I said I'm fine, Tony."

"'Tony?' Jamie, why are you upset?" Hearing Jamie refer to him as 'Tony' instead of 'Daddy' struck him, alarm bells sounded in his mind.

"I'm not upset, just go."

"If I leave this room it's to call the others to come to do a talk circle."

Jamie growls, frustrated that her plans to harm herself were thwarted.

"Why won't you talk to me or let me snuggle with you?" Tony asked, with a hint of sadness.

Jamie can't stand hearing the sadness in his voice. "My dream…you, me, and Pepper were having fun together then Peter showed up. You and Pepper walked away from me and started having fun with Peter instead. When I tried to get closer the three of you didn't recognize me anymore."

"Honey, we will never do that. I promise. Pepper and I love you and you and Peter are friends. Besides, I think Peter will make a great older brother. He's already protective of you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he always asks about you and was willing to help with stuff over the summer."

"I guess you're right."

"Yes, I am. So, now can I snuggle with you?"

Jamie nodded, the desire for self-harm still there but getting weaker. Tony got comfortable on top of the covers, lifting his arm so Jamie could snuggle up close to him before putting his arm around her shoulder. With her daddy's soothing embrace, Jamie was lulled back to sleep with peaceful dreams.

Tony's mind, however, was flooded with concern for his daughter who obviously was going to harm herself tonight because of a dream that highlighted her fear, one that only he can make sure doesn't come to pass. The weight of the responsibility to protect and nurture this girl was almost too much to bear. With even more determination, Tony planned to make things special at his home for everyone. _Perhaps Jamie should live with us for a while_ , Tony thought to himself, like she did with Clint, to form those family bonds. Tony decided to talk to the team and Pepper tomorrow. First, they will have to deal with Peter and his aunt's funeral.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"That's not fair! You can't do that!" Jamie screamed with a few tears, directed at Steve who shared the news of their decision but all of her parents were the intended targets.

"Jamie—"

"No! Stop! Daddy, tell them I should go, tell them," the girl begged, trying to drum up support from the one most likely to agree with her.

Tony shook his head, "I don't think you should go. It's going to be very emotional."

"Of course, it's going to be emotional, it's a funeral. I still want to go for Peter."

"Jamie—"

Jamie interrupted Steve again, unwilling to give in, "Peter's my brother now. I want to be there for him. Besides, all of you can go if I go. Then, if there's a problem I can leave. Please, I want to do this, please."

"I don't think—"

Tony interrupted this time, hearing Jamie's pleas to be there for her 'brother'… _this could be good for her_. "Let's meet, now," Tony barked. "Vision, please sit with Jamie in the living quarters."

The team watched Tony leave the room then looked around the room at each other. The decision had already been made, why meet.

Once everyone was gathered, Tony began, "I think we should let her go."

With the team's stunned silence, Tony continued, "Obviously, we will need to keep a close eye on her and remove her if there's a problem." No one responded so Tony continued explaining himself, "Listen," Tony said with a heavy sigh, "she referred to Peter as her brother…her brother. We have to let her do this. I'm sure she will struggle, but she wants to be there for him."

"Tony, I don't think—" Clint began but was interrupted by Tony.

"She had a nightmare last night," Tony interrupted, desperate to make the team understand. "She dreamt that Pepper and I loved her until Peter showed up then we left her, forgot about her. FRIDAY woke me," Tony shook his head, remembering how Jamie was acting. "I'm sure she was going to hurt herself. She doesn't have the bond with us as a family but she just said Peter was her brother." Tony growled in frustration when no one responded, "Don't you get it."

Steve chimed in, "I'm not sure this is the best way to help build those relationships. She's fragile right now. Remember how she was after seeing Lila in the hospital, what if that happens again?"

"Yeah, it's possible and that would really suck. But you let her go so she could be there for her sister who was hurt," Tony retorted then looked to the rest of the team. "We have to let her at least try to be there for Peter."

The team looked at each other, debating the pros and cons. Clint begrudgingly agreed, "We should let her go, but I want to stay with her. We should let her know the plan, that she can go if she agrees to leave if we think she needs to leave."

"It's risky," Bruce added, unsure. "I guess if she agrees to leave if there's a problem then I'm ok with it."

"I'm with Bruce," Nat offered. "This has the potential of being bad, really bad. But…it may be worth the risk. Besides, she's done well visiting Peter here."

Steve roughly rubbed the back of his head, not agreeing with the team and reluctant to back down. "I don't know. Remember how she was…she didn't respond to anyone for two weeks. Is it really worth that happening again, let alone all of the progress she's made that could be lost? She's already hurting herself again."

"She's been hurting herself because she feels like she's losing us, losing me to a new family that she's not apart of. Let her be a part of the family," Tony proposed, effectively backing Steve into a corner.

Steve rubbed the back of his head again, "Ok, fine but make sure she understands that we will make her leave if we think there's a problem and she isn't allowed to fight with us about it."

Tony smiled, happy with the outcome but knowing the concerns mentioned are valid.

The team returned to the living quarters to discuss the plan. "We are going to let you go to the funeral with some conditions, understand?"

Jamie nodded, smiling at the news but concerned about the 'conditions' Steve mentioned.

"I will stay with you the entire time," Clint explained. "If I feel there's any strong emotions stirring or any other concerns, we will leave right away. I expect that you will leave without a fight. Understand?"

Jamie nodded solemnly, "I understand."

The girl's serious expression surprised them. They expected her to be happy, victorious even after convincing them to change their minds. She, however, looked as if on mission, determined and anxious.

"Are you ok, kiddo?" Clint asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Listen, for this to work, you need to be open with us about how you're feeling. So, are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm ok. I realize going to the funeral will be hard but I want to be able to help Peter. I'm nervous about it but I really want to be there for him."

Clint wrapped his daughter in a tight hug. "You are incredible. You know that?"

Jamie simply shrugged.

"Really," Clint added picking up on her doubt. "You're right this won't be easy but you still want to go because you know Peter is hurting."

"Thanks, Dad," Jamie said sheepishly.

Tony looked at Steve with a grin, "She's definitely your daughter." Steve caught his meaning—she wants to go despite how difficult it will be for her, but like Steve, she is willing to suffer through difficult things to help others. Steve smiled.

The unusual family spent the rest of the morning together, including Peter. The team was surprised by how intuitive Jamie was with Peter, helping him to feel better despite the circumstances.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Just a heads up...I wrote this chapter in third person to try to capture more than just Jamie's feelings.**

 **Chapter 26**

The day of May's funeral was dreary, adding to the sober mood. The ride to the city where the funeral was to be held was quiet. Clint, Steve, Nat, Bruce, and Jamie traveled together, planning to meet up with Tony, Pepper, and Peter at the church. Jamie was upset that she had to stay at the compound instead of going back to the tower with Tony and Peter the night before but she was willing to make this concession afraid that they would change their minds about letting her attend.

Steve reviewed the rules again before letting Jamie out of the car. "So, if you start to feel like you're going to get upset, you will—"

"I will tell you or Dad then I won't fight when we leave. Can we go now? I want to say 'hi' to Peter before it starts."

Steve pulled Jamie into a hug, taking a few deep breaths to steady himself.

"I will be ok," Jamie consoled, feeling Steve's anxiety. "I know you're scared for me, but I will be alright."

Steve kissed his daughter's forehead. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Poppa."

The sadness in the church was palpable. With her ability to sense feelings, Jamie was unprepared for everyone's sadness. Dealing with Peter was one thing, but everyone all at once was too much. "Dad, can we go outside for a bit?"

Clint nodded then led Jamie outside. "Are you ok?" He asked filled with concern.

Jamie tried to control her ragged breathing, hitching and sputtering much like she had just sprinted a mile instead of having just walked outside of the building. "It's a lot. Everyone is so…their feelings…it's…it's a lot."

Clint thought for a moment. "Maybe you could focus on someone's feelings in particular, like wearing blinders."

"Maybe, I don't know," Jamie said thoughtfully. "I haven't had to try anything like that before."

"Try with me, what am I feeling?"

"Um," Jamie said focusing, pushing out all of the sadness that continued to assault her even from outside the building. "You feel nervous, sad, um proud maybe."

Clint smiled, "Yeah, that sums up how I'm feeling."

"Do you think you can focus on that while you are inside?"

"Let's try."

Clint led Jamie inside once more, maintaining his attention on his daughter, trying to recall happy images to distract her from the mass of other feelings hitting her.

"How's that?" Clint asked.

"How are you happy right now?" Jamie asked with a slight smile.

"I'm thinking about snuggling with you and shooting together. We can change how we feel by choosing what we focus on. I'm choosing to focus on the things that I love."

Jamie smiled, "You're thinking about me?"

"Yup. You make me smile," Clint said bringing Jamie into a deep hug.

Jamie's smile widened, "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, baby girl. Ready to go say 'hi' to Peter?"

Jamie nodded then followed Clint back inside, immediately looking around the room for Peter. She easily spotted him up front with Tony. "Hi Peter."

"Hi Jamie! I'm so happy you're here. Can you sit with me?"

Jamie looked over at Tony and Clint for their response. Tony smiled, "Sure. I will also be in the first row with Peter and Clint and the others can sit behind us.

Jamie felt Peter relax upon hearing that she could sit next to him which made her smile. When the time neared, Tony directed Peter and Jamie to sit then took his seat next to Peter with Pepper next to him. Jamie took Peter's hand in her own when she felt his sadness intensify as the preacher moved to the pulpit to begin the service. She also felt the impact that her touch made, knowing that he, although still sad, felt stronger.

Jamie gave a final squeeze just as Peter was called up to give the eulogy. Peter's anxiety mixed with the acute grief was intense causing Jamie's focus on Clint to falter. He noticed the change in Jamie, seeing her begin to slouch and shake, so he placed a calming hand on her shoulder, reminding her to focus on him. He dialed up the good thoughts, bringing to mind all of the fun they've had shooting, swimming, throwing the softball, snuggling, and eating breakfast together. Jamie relaxed, sensing his strong happy, contented feelings.

Everyone followed along to the graveside, but understanding that Peter wanted alone time with his aunt, she hung back.

Tony asked, "Do you want to stand next to Peter?"

"Yes, but Peter wants to be alone right now."

"How do you know?" Jamie looked up at Tony, eye brows raised. "Right, your thing," Tony said pointing to his temple. "I keep forgetting."

After a few moments, Tony asked, "Are you doing alright?"

"I think so."

"What do you mean?"

"I haven't let myself focus on my own feelings today. I'm not sure how I'm doing but I haven't completely lost it so that's got to be good, right?"

"I suppose so. I want you to stay at the compound tonight and please talk to someone about today. I don't want you to find yourself neck deep in strong emotions on your own. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure Daddy."

Tony kissed Jamie's forehead. "I love you baby girl."

"Love you too." Jamie paused for a moment; her expression growing serious. "Peter needs you."

"What, now?"

"Yes."

Tony left to stand next to Peter, who crumbled into Tony's side. Jamie turned to Clint, "We should go now."

"Alright, let's go."

Jamie looked back at Peter feeling his overwhelming loss, remembering the times that she felt the same crushing loss. Tears began to flow down her cheeks in torrents over the deaths of her father, mother and sister—the lines between Peter's grief and her own blurring. Seeing the pain on her face, Clint wrapped his daughter into a hug, letting her grieve once more for the loss of her family. He guided her into the back seat of the vehicle, asking Steve to drive while he and Nat attended to their daughter.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

I stayed in my room at the compound for three days, the grief from my own family's deaths fresh in my mind, waiting for when I could return to the tower. Tony visited me every day, albeit briefly, checking in with me. From what Tony told me, Peter was sad, sometimes overwhelmingly so, but regularly asked about me and when he could visit the compound again. Tony planned to bring my new brother to visit over the weekend but they were planning a quiet Thanksgiving with just the three of them. So, everyone else planned to go to Clint's farm for the holiday.

Although, I was looking forward to spending the holiday with my parents and little brothers and sister, the thought of not having Tony there was crushing me especially since Tony's plans didn't include me at all.

"Knock, knock, anybody home?"

"Hi Dad," I said without needing to look up from my book.

"You haven't come out of your room since the funeral."

"Yeah."

"Well?" Clint encouraged moving to sit on the side of the bed with me.

 _Ugh, I don't want to talk!_ "Well, what?" Jamie evaded.

Clint sighed, "I'm worried about you."

"You don't need to be. Jen said that stuff like this would happen from time to time. I'll be ok."

"Yeah, Jen's right you will go through ups and downs and you will be alright, but I want to help you through this."

"There isn't anything to help with."

"Talk. Tell me what you are thinking and feeling. You don't have to keep it bottled up inside."

Now it was my turn to sigh. "Dad…I'm just sad. The funeral was…hard. Feeling others' feelings was hard. It really helped a lot that you helped me to focus. I don't know how you kept your own feelings in check like that."

"Nat and I have special training. The hardest part was not letting worry take over. I wanted you to only feel happy things."

"Well, it was impressive. Thank you. I wouldn't have been able to stay if you hadn't helped. You should teach me how to change my feelings like that."

"I've already started. Every time you shoot a bow and arrow, you have to clear your mind and calm your body. In a way, you are changing your feelings."

"Yeah, I guess. I wish it was more effective or permanent."

"Can we snuggle?" Clint asked, no doubt taking advantage of the comforting position to encourage me to talk.

I gave a slight nod, moving to allow Clint enough room to lay next to me with Clint leaning up against the headboard while I snuggled in next to him, resting my head on his chest. The warmth and adoring feelings radiating from my dad was my undoing, tears quickly began streaming down my face, wetting my cheeks first then his shirt.

"I'm sorry Dad. I thought I was stronger, that I could tolerate the funeral. I haven't been able to stop thinking about my mom and sister's funeral, what it must have been like, but I'll never know because I was too weak."

Clint continued to hold me tight, letting me cry once again for my losses. When I was finally all cried out, I moved onto another topic that's been on my mind. "I'm upset that Tony won't be with me on Thanksgiving. He didn't even want me to come to the tower to be with him."

"Peter's not handling the thought of the holidays without his aunt."

"All the more reason to have Peter with us," I argued.

"You might be right, but it's not up to me or you for that matter. Tony thinks Peter needs to have quiet time to grieve," Clint replied. "Besides, this is your first holiday without your family too. The timing stinks, but I think Tony made the best choice for both of you. I know, for a fact, that Tony wanted to be with you on Thanksgiving."

I sighed, "Ok, I understand."

"Do you want to stay here tonight or come back to the farmhouse? Tony set up FRIDAY in your room so you can also have privacy there now."

"Yeah, I think I want to go to the farmhouse."

"Sounds wonderful. When do you want to leave?"

"Anytime, maybe I can help Laura get things ready. I always helped my Mom make Thanksgiving dinner. It was only for the three of us but it was still a special time for Mom and I."

"Sure, let's go. I'm sure Laura will love to have you help."

 **Thanks for reading. Please review.**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Clint and I headed upstairs. Lila, Cooper, and Nathaniel were already asleep so we padded down the hall quietly. Once in my room, Clint asked, "You doing ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I liked spending time with Laura."

"She did too. Go ahead and get ready for bed. I'll tuck you in when you're done."

I nodded then complied. Once finished, I climbed onto my bed, getting under the covers that Clint had lifted up for me. "Dad?"

"What's up?"

"I'm sad."

Clint placed his hand along the side of my face. "Want me to snuggle for a while?"

I nodded, brushing away a few tears.

Clint laid next to me, lifting his arm for me to snuggle up against his chest. "What is making you feel sad?"

"I miss my mom and Lizzy."

Clint kissed my head, rubbing my shoulder tenderly. "Want to talk about it or just snuggle?"

"Just snuggle."

Clint stayed with me until sometime after I fell asleep. I had several bad dreams during the night, Clint snuggling me through each one. I was excited when Laura came in my room in the morning. "Ready to help me with dinner?"

I nodded, feeling somber but happy too. I really love my new mom. We spent the morning getting the turkey in the oven then Clint made breakfast for everyone—eggs and bacon. Lila was absolutely bubbling with excitement, knowing everyone was coming to her house for the holiday. She even wanted to help, too, when she saw me helping. The three of us, mom and daughters, enjoyed spending time together in the kitchen.

Once everything was well on its way, I joined Clint and Cooper in the living room where they were watching the parade on TV. Cooper complained a few times, saying he just wanted to watch football that wouldn't be on for another hour but Lila loved the parade.

I sat next to Clint, wanting the comfort that being close to him brings. Before long, I fell asleep, tired from multiple nightmares and then getting up early to spend time with Laura. I woke from the commotion from the others coming into the house. I couldn't hide the tinge of disappointment when I didn't see Tony. I knew he wasn't coming but still held out hope that maybe he would show up anyway.

In the chaos of everyone piling into the living room, I slipped away to my bedroom. Pulling out a book, I laid on my bed. My mind wandered to Mom and Lizzy, everything that we did last year. They've only been gone a handful of months but it feels like much longer.

"Ah-hem." I turned to look at the source of the clearly attention-seeking throat clearing.

"Hi Steve."

"Hi kiddo. You doing alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just decided to read for a bit before we ate."

"Ok. Mind if I hang out with you until then."

"Sure."

"What book are you reading?"

"A stupid book for school. I have to write a paper on it." I tossed the book aside, really not able to get into actually reading it.

"You seem sad. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I am sad but there's nothing to talk about, it's just the way it is. Ready to go downstairs?"

"How about we snuggle for a few minutes first?"

I hesitated then nodded. Steve got himself set up to snuggle with me while I moved closer. After about ten minutes, Laura called us to come down to eat. I was starting to feel sleepy again, so I'm glad it's time to eat.

I sat between Clint and Steve, where I often end up when eating meals together. They let me be, knowing today is one of those harder days but I can feel all of them watching me, sneaking a glance now and then.

"Jamie and Lila helped," Laura boasted, trying to get me involved in conversation.

"It's all delicious, girls. Thanks," Nat praised.

Lila and I shared a glance. She was super happy with the praise, smiling ear to ear. Her pride made me smile. With the good feelings radiating from my little sister, I took a few bites of food, enjoying the stuffing that I helped to make. The familiar tastes brought on the sadness once again. "May I be excused?"

"Not yet," Clint responded. "We have a tradition here to each say one thing that we're thankful for. I'll start. I'm thankful for my family."

Laura spoke next. "I'm also thankful for my family," Laura said smiling at me.

"I'm thankful for…" Nat started then looked over at me, "…having the chance to be a mom." I smiled then looked down.

Sitting next to Nat, Bruce said, "I'm thankful for new perspectives." Bruce smiled at me no doubt thinking about Hulk.

Cooper's face turned red in embarrassment, now that it was his turn. "I'm thankful for…Dad this is stupid. Do I really have to do this?"

"Yes, you do," Clint said, shooting Cooper a look that I recognized as a warning.

Cooper sighed, "I'm thankful for my video games." Clint gave him another look but let it slide.

Lila boomed, "My turn! I'm thankful for horses, my toys, candy, and my new sister."

I smiled at Lila for adding me to her list. Ranking with horses is pretty impressive.

Steve was next, turning his attention to me. "I'm thankful for having a family now, for having a future to be excited about."

Laura smiled at me, "Your turn."

I looked around the table at my new family, feeling grateful for them but also sadness from missing my real family. "I…" tears began to stream down my face as I thought about what I wanted to say. "I'm thankful for all of you." I spoke in little more than a whisper, feeling myself spiraling into darkness as thoughts of killing my family took over. I got up from the table, leaving the room quickly. They let me go, but Clint followed me all the way to my room. "I'm sorry. I'm ok, I just need some time. I won't do anything."

"I'm not just here to keep you from hurting yourself. I'm here to take care of you. Can we snuggle?"

I nodded as the dam broke loose. My tears turned into full on sobs. He didn't ask me to talk, he just held me for a long time, gently kissing my head every so often. Apparently, someone knocked on my door because If felt more than heard Clint murmur, "Come in."

"Hi baby girl." I looked up, not sure if I really heard what I thought I heard. Sure enough, Tony was standing in my doorway.

"Daddy," I smiled weakly through hitching sobs. "What are you doing here?"

"I called to check on you and heard that you were upset. I thought I would come visit."

"What about Peter? How's he doing?"

"Peter's downstairs. He's struggling today too, but wanted a distraction. Can I hold you?"

I nodded. Clint kissed my head then gave up his spot to Tony.

"I'm so happy you're here."

"Me too, baby girl, me too. I'm sorry I couldn't be with you the whole day."

"Is Pepper here?"

"Yeah, she's downstairs. Is that ok?"

I nodded. "I'm happy she's here."

"Tell me about how you're feeling today."

"I'm sad. I miss my family. But I'm really happy you and Pepper are here. It feels more like my family is here now, now that everyone is here."

The sadness is suffocating but it's getting lighter. When my sobs finally slowed, I drifted off to sleep.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

With Thanksgiving over and Christmas approaching, Tony suggested that I spend more time at the tower. Pepper was also excited to have me stay with them which I was initially surprised by, although perhaps I shouldn't have been. So, the new routine still included homeschooling Monday through Friday, but on Mondays and Tuesdays, I spent the evenings at the tower, on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, I went with Clint to the farmhouse to spend time with them then back to the tower on Friday nights to spend the whole weekend with Tony, Pepper, and Peter.

My parents all talked, firming up rules and expectations, much to my disappointment. I enjoyed getting to push the bedtimes while at the tower but those days are over. Pepper does more with me now too. We've started doing yoga together before I leave for the compound in the mornings and we've been working on puzzles together in the evenings.

Now that I have an older brother, I understand how Cooper felt when I joined their family. I still had to go to bed at nine thirty but Peter was allowed to stay up until midnight. Being sixteen, he had a lot more freedom than I did, especially since the restrictions were reinstated.

"Alright kiddo. It's time for bed," Tony said when he entered Peter's room where we were watching a movie.

"What?! No," I whined. "The movie isn't over yet. Can I stay up just till the movie is over, please? Please."

"Sorry, no. We all agreed on your bedtime."

I countered, "You agreed, I did not so I don't think I should have to follow it. I think I should go to bed the same time as Peter, that way it's fair."

"Oh, so the same time as Peter here and the same time as Lila and Cooper at Clint's," Tony suggested.

Peter interjected, "I was going to have to shut the movie off early anyway so I can start patrolling."

"What?!" I shouted then glared at Tony who shot Peter an exasperated look. "Not only does he get to stay up but he also gets to go out as Spiderman!"

"Thanks, Pete," Tony said sarcastically, irritated with Peter's timing.

"Sorry," Peter offered then turned toward his desk to make himself look busy.

"I am not going to bed," I declared, arms crossed tightly against my chest.

"I'm sorry, do you want to try that again," Tony seethed, barely containing his anger.

"I said, 'I…am…not…going…to…bed!" I challenged, no longer afraid of angry Tony. My actions clearly spooked Peter whose blanched face was watching us.

"Go to your room, now."

Tony and I stared at each other for several long moments, before I caved. "Fine!" I shouted then stomped out of the room.

Just as I cleared the doorway, Pepper came over, "What's going on here?"

I didn't respond, stomping off to my room then slammed the door.

* * *

"FRIDAY, keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't do anything to hurt herself."

"Will do, boss."

"I don't know what we're doing wrong," Tony complained to Pepper after leaving Peter's room. "She doesn't act like this at the other places, just here."

Pepper sighed, "I don't know. I could go talk to her but it might be time to get the others here for one of your group talks."

Tony chuckled sourly, "Oh, she'll love that."

"I know she'll balk about it but clearly there's more going on than we have been able to figure out so far."

Tony nodded. "I'll call them and see if they can come over quick. I'm sure Dr. Strange will be willing to help transport."

* * *

 _He either forgot about me or decided to give up._ The thought ushered unwelcomed tears to my eyes and started me on the familiar dark path. _Just because I don't have any superpowers like Peter…I should be allowed to do the same things he can. I'm almost fourteen._ I looked over at the clock again, seeing that it's now ten till ten. Sighing again, the pain of rejection took root. H _e probably doesn't want me anymore._

As if on cue, someone knocked on my door but I refused to respond. "Jamie...I'm coming in." Tony entered, uninvited. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," I seethed.

"Ready for bed now?"

"No. I already told you that I'm not going to bed."

"Excuse me," Clint's voice sounded from my doorway. I looked over in alarm, suddenly ashamed of my behavior.

"What…what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to find out why you're giving Tony and Pepper a hard time about going to bed. Actually, we're all here," Clint informed me, allowing the others to enter my room as well. I groaned at the sight of everyone, with their disappointed faces.

"Actually, I'm feeling pretty tired. I think I'll go to bed after all."

"Hold on," Clint chided, holding his hand out in front of him like he was directing traffic. "This talk is happening. Do you want to do this in your room or on the couch?"

I swallowed hard, my throat thick with dread. "I don't want to. I'll go to bed. I'm sorry."

"Fine, we'll talk in here," Clint said, not allowing me to put it off.

Everyone stepped into my room taking seats around my room—on my bed, on my desk, my desk's chair and Steve ended up standing. Even Pepper came in, looking almost sympathetic. _Geesh, even Pepper thinks this is harsh._

"So, what's going on? You have been fighting with us here about the rules that are the same everywhere else," Tony began.

Avoiding eye contact with everyone, I shrugged my shoulders.

Clint admonished, "You have to do better than that."

"I don't know what to say."

"What bothers you about following the rules here?" Tony questioned.

"Nine thirty is too early to go to bed."

"Why does that time bother you here but not the other places?" Steve asked.

"Peter doesn't have to go to bed, he doesn't even have to be home until midnight. He's only a few years older than me, it's not fair."

"Hmm," Nat began. "At Clint's you're the oldest; at the compound, you're the only child; and before everything, you were the oldest. Is it hard adjusting to being the younger sister?"

I looked at Nat, irritated that she would suggest something so childish but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Maybe I was having a hard time adjusting. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't like that your first thought was to be defiant," once again Clint chided. "The disrespectful behavior has to stop, now."

"I'm sorry Dad. Can I go to bed now?" I asked, trying to keep my emotions in check.

Steve knelt down in front of me, "What else is going on? There's more."

I shook my head, avoiding eye contact with Steve so he wouldn't see what's hidden there. Without another word, I crawled to the head of my bed and climbed under the covers. I could feel their concern and curiosity.

It was Tony who decided to lay down next to me, pulling me into a snuggle. His gentle touches after everything that I had done, was too much. Tears stung my eyes, falling unwelcomed down my cheeks. I didn't know why, they just came.

"Honey, why are you upset?"

"I don't know," I mumbled through my sobs. "I want to be alone now."

No one moved. _Of course,_ I thought sourly.

"Why do you want to be left alone?" Nat asked.

"I just do. Please go."

Nat sat down on my bed, "I'm going to stay here tonight."

"What? No! You have to go home with Bruce." Bruce and Nat looked at each other.

"Why did you say it like that?" Steve asked confused.

Nat responded for me, "Bruce and I are dating."

I felt everyone's surprise. "Jamie, Bruce and I don't have to be around each other all of the time. I want to stay here with you."

"I'll stay too, ok?" Bruce offered.

"I really just want to be alone."

"I'm sorry kiddo. We aren't going to leave you alone when you're upset. Tony, Pepper, are you guys fine with us staying tonight?" Nat asked the would-be hosts.

Pepper and Tony nodded.

"The rest of us should go," Tony said then kissed my forehead. Clint, Steve, and Pepper followed suit. Everyone left my room except Nat and Bruce.

"When did you notice?" Bruce asked.

"Before you did," I said chuckling. My response also made Nat chuckle.

"It did take him a long time to figure it out," Nat quipped.

"Will you guys snuggle me?" I asked, wanting them to be with me now that the pressure of the talk circle was over.

"Sure baby," Nat said then her and Bruce climbed in my bed, one on each side. "So, what has you so down?"

"I really don't know."

"Have you had any thoughts about hurting yourself?" Bruce asked, as nonchalantly as he could.

"Please don't ask me that."

"Why not?"

"Can we just snuggle, please?"

"Excited for Christmas?" Nat asked, pretending to change the subject but hugged me tighter in response to my words.

"I know what you're doing."

"Really, what am I doing?"

"Probing."

Without trying to deny it, Nat chuckled then continued, "Well? Are you excited for Christmas?"

I sighed, "Thinking about the holidays makes me sad. So, no. I'm not excited for Christmas."

"Is that what's been bothering you?"

"I want to go home."

"Home, which one?"

"Exactly," I said, an extra dose of sadness filling me.

"Jamie, are you struggling with how things are set up now, with spending some time here and some time at Clint's?"

"I'm struggling with not being with my mom and sister, I'm mad that I killed my family, I'm sad that I don't have friends anymore, I'm scared that I have these stupid powers. I just want to be normal again. That's what I want for Christmas—to be normal, to have my own family back. But, I can't. So, what's the point of a holiday where people get what they want when I'll never be able to have what I want."

"I understand," Bruce said, thoughtfully. "I've often felt like that too. This is the first Christmas that I've been excited about since I was a little kid."

"Why are you excited about this year?"

"You."

"Me?" I asked incredulously. "Why me?"

"You are directly or indirectly the reason for everything good in my life."

I looked at Bruce, trying to understand how that could be true.

"I used to isolate myself, because of Hulk. I was afraid of hurting people. Now, because of you, I feel more like Hulk and I are partners. I'm a dad, Natasha and I are dating, and the others are also part of my family. I have everything that I've always wanted."

"But you don't like the dad thing."

"I used to feel that way, but being your dad is wonderful. In fact, I want you to give me a dad name too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Like what?"

"Well, my best friend when I was a kid called her dad, 'Poppy.' What do you think?"

"Poppy…Yeah, I like that."

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. You guys don't have to stay, I'll be ok."

"We don't get to see you very often," Nat replied. "I want to stay, how about you Bruce?"

"Yeah, I feel like we rarely see you."

I sighed, "I promise I won't hurt myself."

"Jamie, we really do want to spend some time with you. Granted, we also want to be available to help if you need us but it seems like the perfect opportunity to also snuggle with you. Don't you think?"

I smiled, "Yeah. I miss you guys too."

Bruce and Nat hugged me. "You should try to get some sleep now. It's eleven o'clock," Bruce commented.

I snuggled closer, laying my head against Bruce. Nat rubbed my back until I fell asleep.

* * *

"Any suggestions?" Tony asked Clint and Steve after they left their daughter's bedroom. "We're at a loss here."

"What's been happening?"

"She seems to enjoy spending time with each of us but when I tell her to do something, it's a fight. She's fine if I tell her and Peter to do something but if it's just her then, well, here we are."

"We should call Jen tomorrow, see what she says. I don't like the idea of her being defiant but we can't rule out that there isn't something else going on with her," Clint said.

"Well, Jen already said that we can implement discipline even if her behavior stems from her emotional issues," Steve reminded the team. "I think we should have her go to bed early every night this week, say eight o'clock. The next two nights she will be at your place but then we can be on call to help her over the weekend."

"We should also plan for all of us to talk again every day to see if there is something going on that needs addressed," Clint suggested.

Pepper chimed in, "Christmas is coming soon. I imagine she's struggling with the holidays. Don't be too hard on her."

"Alright, then she needs to go to bed early Wednesday and Thursday while at your place and Friday night here. If she fights, then we will extend the punishment," Tony offered to appease Pepper.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Wait until you are back at the compound tomorrow morning and we can all be there before discussing the punishment with her," Steve suggested. "I want her to know that we are united on this.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

"Rise and shine kiddo."

I begrudgingly opened an eye to find Nat standing next to my bed. "Five more minutes."

"Absolutely not. It's your own fault for being so tired. Come on, out of bed."

"Mom, please. I'm really tired."

"I know. You didn't go to bed until eleven."

I groaned then crawled out of bed, going straight to my brand-new bathroom. With the shower's warm water, I felt my body relax and wake up at the same time. When finished, I left the bathroom finding Nat still in my room, organizing.

"You didn't have to wait in my room, Tony has FRIDAY watching me," I said with a hint of resentment.

"I know. Ready?"

I grabbed my backpack and gathered up my iPod and teddy bear, the only items I take with me from one home to the next. With the bag over my shoulder, I walked with Nat to the kitchen. Bruce and Tony were sitting at the table. Pepper always takes Peter to school but he has to be there by eight so they leave by seven thirty. Tony and I don't usually leave until eight thirty giving us an hour every morning together.

"Ready for breakfast, baby girl?" Tony asked when he spotted me entering the kitchen.

"Yeah Daddy!" I exclaimed happy to have breakfast with him. "Good morning Poppy," I said moving to give Bruce a hug.

"'Poppy?'" Tony chuckled, looking at his friend.

"Yeah," Bruce said wrapping his arm around me. "It's my dad name."

I smiled up at Bruce, enjoying his newfound love for being a dad.

"Alright, eggs are ready."

The four of us sat down at the table and ate breakfast together before leaving for the compound for our normal routine.

The drive to the compound was long. Sensing they were planning something that I won't like for today, I decided to just look out the window, dreading whatever they have planned for me.

It wasn't long before I found out. "Good morning kiddo," Steve said with a smile when I entered the living quarters.

"Good morning Poppa," I responded without the normal excitement to see Steve, the feeling of dread only intensifying.

"Take a seat, we need to talk."

I let out a heavy sigh, making my displeasure known. "Can't I just start school?"

"Talk first, then school," Clint stated with his arms crossed. _Oh man, I'm in so much trouble._

After reluctantly taking my normal talk circle seat on the couch's middle cushion, Steve and Clint sat down on either side of me with the rest sitting in chairs in front of me.

"We need to finish our talk from last night," Clint said, frowning when I pouted.

"What do you mean by finish it?"

"We need to discuss the consequences."

I gulped, "Consequences? I thought the talk circle last night was the consequence."

"No, the talk circle helps us to understand what's going on. The consequences are supposed to deter you from choosing to be defiant in the future."

"I promise I won't be bad anymore."

"You aren't bad," Clint corrected. "The choice you made was but you are not. Understand?"

I nodded.

"Tonight, tomorrow, and Friday night you will have an early bedtime, so in bed by eight," Clint informed.

"Eight! That's crazy."

"If you pull another stunt like last night, you will have to go to bed early three nights. Understand?"

"Dad! That's not fair!"

"Why isn't it fair? You were defiant last night with Tony, to the point where he felt he had to call all of us out to deal with your behavior. That's what wasn't fair."

Clint's sharp words stung. Tears began to fall once again hearing how disappointed he was in me. "I'm sorry," I replied, sincerely.

Clint pulled me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me in a tight hug then kissed my forehead. "We still love you. Ok?"

I nodded but the tears continued to fall.

"Tell me how you're feeling," Clint said, pinning a loose chuck of hair behind my ear.

I shook my head, keeping my face tucked away against his chest.

"Why does it bother you to be told to go to bed when you're at the tower?"

"I don't know."

"I think you might have some idea why that bothers you," Steve said running his fingers along my cheek then tipping my chin to look his way.

"Snuggles."

"Snuggles?" Tony asked confused.

"I always get snuggles when Lila and Cooper go to bed."

"So, you want snuggles before bed, some special time with just you and Tony?" Clint offered, trying to piece together what I'm thinking.

I nodded, tucking my face against Clint's chest again to hide my embarrassment.

Tony moved closer so he could be near my face, "If you wanted some snuggle time, why didn't you just ask?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I would love to spend time with you, snuggling before bed. Ok?"

I nodded, trying to take a few deep breaths to calm myself.

"Come here," Tony said, reaching his arms toward me for a hug. I accepted, allowing Tony to pick me up and bring me in close. "I love you baby girl. I want to take care of you so you need to let me know when you need something that I'm not doing. Ok?"

I nodded again, feeling loved and grateful the talk circle was over.

* * *

"That went better than I expected," Steve commented to the team once Jamie left the room to begin school.

"Yeah, I expected more tears," Clint responded.

"She broke my heart," Tony remarked to the contrary. "I can't believe that it didn't occur to me that she would need snuggles every day. I was waiting for her to ask or for it to naturally happen. All of this is really my fault."

"Tony," Nat began. "Don't be too hard on yourself. You have a lot on your plate."

"Yes. And besides…," Clint offered, "…she needs to curb her emotional reactions and ask for what she needs. It's unacceptable for her to be so disrespectful."

"Maybe," Tony replied then left to do his part of the homeschooling.

"Hmm, what's the likelihood that he follows through with the early bedtime on Friday?" Nat asked Bruce, Clint, and Steve.

Everyone chuckled. "Not likely, not likely at all," Clint said, shaking his head.

* * *

Jamie accepted the early bedtime while at Clint's without issue. Clint or Laura spent extra time tucking her in, complete with snuggle time.

"Remember, you will have an early bedtime tonight as well," Clint reminded me at breakfast. "As long as you don't give Tony a hard time, that will be the end of the discipline. But, if you fight with him about going to bed at eight, you will have to go to bed early three more nights. Got it?"

I sighed, "Can I just come back here tonight instead or maybe stay at the compound with Steve, Bruce, and Nat?"

"Can you tell me why you don't want to go to Tony's?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't want anyone to be mad at me."

"Why would someone be mad?" Clint asked.

"I'm pretty sure I will just get in trouble again. I don't want anyone to be mad at me again."

"Why do you think you will get in trouble again?"

"Forget it. I need to get my backpack."

"Jamie, please sit down and tell me what's going on."

"Please don't ask me to talk anymore."

"Come with me," Clint said, directing me to sit with him on the couch. _Crap, he knows he can get me to talk more when I'm snuggling._ I sighed but complied with his instruction. Once settled in, Clint asked, "Ok, so tell me why you think you will get in trouble again."

"Why can't I spend the weekend at the compound? I hardly ever spend time there anymore."

"I didn't say that you can't but I do want to know why you don't want to go to Tony's."

"I feel like a burden there. Tony's frustrated a lot trying to deal with me and Peter. I don't belong in his family."

"There's no way Tony will be ok without you being a part of his family."

"I know but maybe he should just focus on Peter for now."

"I thought Tony was doing a better job balancing the two of you and Pepper. It also sounded like you were bonding with Pepper and spending time with Peter."

"Well, yeah, but…"

"But what?" Clint prompted when my words trailed off.

Nearly in tears now, I sighed, bracing myself for my next words, "Peter's hardly struggling at all. I was and still am way worse than he is. It's, I don't know, ugh..."

"How does it make you feel when you think about how he's dealing with things?"

"Embarrassed…it reminds me that I'm bad."

"You're not bad, I promise. Everyone deals with things differently, it's not fair to compare."

"You were really mad at me," I say mournfully.

"Yes, I was. I don't like when any of my kids deliberately disobey. It's not because you're bad. I think you should give it more time at Tony's. It's an adjustment for everyone but I imagine everyone wants things to work. Besides, Tony will be heartbroken if you don't want to be a part of his family anymore."

"Ok."

"We know that you're struggling with this so we can help to make things better."

I agreed to try but haven't been able to shake the awful feelings inside.

 **A/N**

 **Thank you to everyone who has reviewed!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Trigger Warning-self-injury**

 **Chapter 31**

I've been moping around the whole day, half-heartedly doing my school work and mostly avoiding everyone. I tried to skip lunch but was directed to join everyone in the kitchen. "What do you want for lunch?" Steve asked.

"Nothing. Can I go to my room now?"

"No, stay here with us."

I sighed, then flopped down on the bench seat in front of the bay window. I could sense everyone's concern which is why I wanted to go to my room instead of being around everyone.

It snowed the previous night. Whiteness covered every inch of everything visible from the window. It looked pretty but somehow it made me feel sadder. I really missed my dad, mom, and sister.

"Jamie. Jamie…"

I turned to look at Steve who was calling my name.

"Hey, are you doing ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm going back to school now," I said then walked out of the kitchen toward the school room. They let me go. I sighed again, thinking about one of them following me soon to make me talk.

I logged back into my school account, clicking on the next lesson in social studies. The teacher droned on and on about some ancient civilization but my mind was firmly rooted in my own past. Images of making Christmas cookies with my mom, playing with our presents on Christmas morning, even a memory of my dad reading _'Twas the Night Before Christmas_ when he tucked me in on our last Christmas Eve together demanded my full attention. Lizzy's favorite part was drinking hot chocolate in front of the fireplace while watching _Polar Express._

Christmas is next week. We would have already had our picture taken with Santa, made cookies, received a new pair of pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve and listened to Christmas music while decorating the tree. We haven't done any of that and I'm not sure that I want to. _I have to get out of here or I'm gonna go nuts._

When I finished with the assigned lessons, I walked back out to the kitchen but surprisingly no one was there. _Ugh, FRIDAY won't let me leave the building without permission but I have to do something_ , I thought to myself _._

I scurried into my room, shutting and locking the door behind me. Remembering that FRIDAY was monitoring me, I tried to control my breathing so my vital signs didn't set off any alarms. I took up the familiar position in my closet, with the bathroom door locked and my closet door shut, sitting on the floor so I could put my fingers under the door if someone came looking for me. _Breathe, Jamie, breathe…in, out, in, out, in, out. I have to keep myself calm,_ I thought, trying to stay under FRIDAY's radar.

With my secret piece of glass clutched between my fingers, I pulled down the top of my pants and underwear, enough to make several one- to two-inch cuts. I kept it controlled so I didn't bleed much. The feeling was amazing. It hurt but the thrill of doing this, of hurting myself, was enough to make each slice excite and center me in the present.

Clint called my name from the other side of the closet door then knocked on the door. "Jamie. Open the door honey." I could hear the worry in his voice and sensed the anxiety emanating from him through the door.

 _No, no, no._ I quickly hid my contraband in the pocket of my hoodie, that hung right next to where I was sitting.

"Jamie, please, open the door," Clint called again, trying not to sound alarmed.

I shifted away from the door, taking refuge under a row of hanging clothes. Instinctively, I curled up, bringing my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around my legs. With my head tucked in the crevice between my knees, I waited for Clint to realize I wasn't blocking the door any longer. _I hope they don't check my body!_ The thought incited panic, always feeling so exposed and violated when they did.

Clint opened the door and he, Steve, and Tony, came into my close while Nat and Bruce stood in my bathroom watching. "What happened?" Clint asked, carefully moving to sit near me on the floor.

I shook my head, not wanting to talk about it.

"Can I hold you?" Clint asked softly.

I hesitated, debating whether or not I wanted to be held. I don't, I want… "Daddy, can we do some boxing?"

Everyone was quiet for a few moments, then Tony responded, "Sure, honey. Come on. Let's get you set up with some gloves."

I held Tony's hand while we walked to the back of the exercise room where the boxing ring was set up. Steve wrapped my hands, watching me carefully the entire time. I couldn't look at him, though, for fear of him seeing the shame from hurting myself that I've been trying to keep hidden.

Clint helped me into the ring, pushing down on the bottom rope, while pulling up the top two ropes giving me enough space to enter. Tony was already set up with pads on his hands. Without making eye contact, I responded each time Tony held up one of his hands for me to punch. He kept up a steady pace, giving me the physical workout that I needed to release some of the pent-up emotional energy. At some point, I began to cry.

The power of my mind started whirling around, picking up loose items around the room and blowing them around me—the vortex of the storm. Clint wrapped his arms around me, stopping my barrage of punches and slowing the wind. My dad just held me, for a long time, while the others kept vigil nearby.

"Ready to talk yet?" Tony asked when I calmed down.

I shook my head, still unwilling to talk about my thoughts and feelings.

"Ok, baby girl. Let me take the gloves off," Tony said then reached for one of my hands.

I allowed Tony to remove my gloves and massage my hands. "Let's head back to the living quarters."

I nodded then held Tony's hand on the way. My parents decided not to push talking right now, allowing me to snuggle on the couch with a movie playing in the background. I closed my eyes, allowing myself to doze off, hoping for a break from the sadness.

* * *

"What do you think?" Tony asked the others when Jamie fell asleep.

"I don't know. She was upset this morning. I wasn't able to get much out of her just that she was afraid she would get in trouble again at your house."

"Hmmm. She was afraid that she would be in trouble again?" Bruce repeated Clint's words, thinking aloud. "I wonder if she feels like she doesn't have any control over her behavior."

"Is that possible," Nat asked. "To have no control over whether or not she throws a fit about bedtime?"

"On her own, maybe not," Clint responded honestly. "But we have been trying to intervene with reminders and physical comfort right before and during potential problem situations."

"I think there's more to it. Let's have her talk to us when she wakes up," Steve commented. "Christmas is only a few days away, maybe something with the holidays is bothering her."

The team waited in the living room, concerned for their daughter, ready to push her to talk to them when she woke.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

 _No, no! Don't go! Mom! Lizzy! Don't leave me. Please, don't leave me._

"Honey, wake up. Jamie….Jamie, come on, wake up."

My eyes flung open, the stinging grief from my dream followed me. "You're ok baby girl. Come here," Tony said, pulling me onto his lap.

I sat with my head against his chest, soaking up the comfort while my body calmed down. Several minutes went by, my parents gradually joining us in the living room until everyone except for Laura and Pepper was there.

"What's got you so upset?" Tony asked softly.

I shook my head, tucking my face back into Tony's chest.

Clint sat directly in front of me. "Christmas is in a few days."

My dad's words shook me, all of my grief barreled back, hitting like a sucker punch. Tony held on tight, keeping his arms wrapped around me while kissing my head. No one said anything else for a long time, supporting me while I cried, giving me time to feel and be comforted.

"Ready to talk now?" Dad asked when my body calmed down and the tears stopped.

I shook my head.

"We want to know what you need. What might help make this time easier for you?"

I looked over at my parents, seeing that they are all eagerly waiting for any tidbits of information that may be helpful. I shrugged, really not sure what would help.

"What did you do to make the holidays special before?"

I started crying again, thinking about my family. Unwilling to let the dam crack open, I shook my head refusing to talk.

"What if we made some new traditions?" Nat suggested. She had my attention. I looked at her, hoping she had some ideas for me. "Maybe we could make ornaments together or—"

Tony interrupted, "I could play piano. We could sing Christmas carols."

"Ooh," Clint chimed in with a huge smile. "We could make snowmen. Maybe make it a competition to see who can make the most festive snowman."

"We could make a gingerbread house," Bruce offered. "That's what I did with my mom."

I smiled, knowing the memory of his mother is painful but he chose to share it with me anyway.

"Come on, kiddo," Steve said holding his hand out to me. "Let's go make some new memories.

* * *

Since there's already an abundance of snow from the last snowstorm, we decided to make snowmen. Clint was my partner. Tony and Steve were a team and Nat and Bruce made up our other competition. We all agreed to the ground rules: no peeking at another team's snowman, only use items found in a common area to decorate, and all work must end after sixty minutes.

The three teams set to work, each building their creation on a different side of the building to help keep the competition fair.

"Start making the largest ball," Clint instructed as we walked out of the building to our assigned spot for the competition.

"Ok," I chirped, excited to do something special. Starting off with a snowball, I rolled the ball around the snow-covered grassy area until the ball was huge, almost coming up to my waist.

"Wow, kiddo! That's great," Clint praised then placed the middle section on my ball.

"I'll make the head," I offered. "What do you think we should use to decorate it?"

"Hmm, well…I guess we could do the normal stuff; just a classic snowman."

"Do you have a corn silk hat or coal?" I asked, jokingly.

Clint chuckled, "No but we could use the baseball cap we got from the Yankee's game."

"Ooh, yeah. We should give it a bow and arrow too."

Clint chuckled again. "Sure."

"We should try to add something from everyone. It can be the Avenger's version of the Power Ranger's robot thing when they all join together. So maybe it should have a shield for Poppa and we could give it metal arms that are red for Daddy. We could use green food coloring for Poppy."

"Yeah, kiddo. That sounds great."

"What do we add for Mom?" I asked, thinking hard about what makes Nat unique while looking at the snowman.

"Hmm, yeah that's a tough one."

"Maybe red hair," I suggested. "Like a mop head dipped in red food coloring."

"Perfect!"

Clint and I hurried inside to find materials to make each component, knowing we were close to the end of the time limit. We managed to make everything before FRIDAY called time on the competition. We all met in the private entrance to the living quarters.

"Who judges?" I asked.

"Who should we ask?" Tony asked in response.

"Is anyone around?"

"Vision and Nick"

"Yikes," I said under my breath but apparently loud enough for everyone to hear.

"I know, slim pickings," Tony remarked. "Preference?"

"Either is fine."

"How about we ask both of them?" Nat suggested.

"Yeah, ok," I mumbled not thrilled to be around either of them.

It only took them a few minutes to join us outside. "What's going on?" Nick asked.

"We need judges," Steve said. "We split into three teams and each made a snowman. We need judges to determine which group made the best."

"Alright, what's the criteria?" Nick asked, taking his job seriously. I smiled.

"Well, basically whichever looks the best. You know, which you like the most."

"Alright, let's do it," Nick said, then looked over at Vision. "Ready?"

Vision nodded. We all walked together to the first snowman, Bruce and Nat's.

"Hmm," Nick hummed when he took in the sight of the first snowman. "What do you think Vision?"

"Well, it is made of snow, stands a little over three feet tall, and has some random items pushed into the snow."

"Did anyone give this man a lesson on what a snowman is?" Nick asked with a smile, looking around at the group. "You just described a snowman, except maybe the embarrassingly small stature."

"Well, yes," Vision commented, looking over the snow creation again. "It is nice?"

"Was that a question?" Nick smirked. "Alright, show us the next one."

Tony was eager to guide Nick and Vision to his snowman. Although it was a team effort, the snowman sported Tony's sunglasses and scarf and had tiny sticks for arms. I chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Tony said in mock offense. "It's a masterpiece."

"It looks like you but with little arms. Were those the biggest sticks you could find?"

"Yes," Steve commented looking at the sticks sideways. "I thought they looked good."

"Uh huh, next," Nick motioned to move on to the next snowman.

The final snowman to be judged was the one Clint and I made. I stood proudly next to it with Clint by my side. "What do you think?" I asked, smiling brightly.

"I love it!" Nick exclaimed. "You incorporated everyone in it. Nice work."

"Yes, this one is wonderful," Vision offered.

"Winner," Nick said pointing to me and Clint.

I squealed then jumped into Clint's arms.

"Oh, come on," Tony quipped. "My snowman's incredibly good looking."

Everyone chuckled.

We all headed back inside together, including Nick and Vision who joined us for hot chocolate. We had fun together. I don't know how they always manage to make me feel better but they do. I snuggled on the couch with Clint, succumbing to sleep when my eyelids closed under their heaviness.

* * *

"Looked like you guys had fun," Nick commented when Jamie fell asleep.

"We did," Tony agreed. "She's been struggling with the holidays coming up, thought the activity might help."

"Well," Nick said smiling at Jamie, "I think it did the trick."

"I hope so. I hate seeing her so withdrawn."

"I'm glad she seems more comfortable around me, given everything that happened," Nick commented, remembering how Cross controlled him to try to hurt Jamie.

"She understands what Cross was capable of, how he controlled people," Steve said. "With him gone, she's not afraid of being hurt as much."

"I'm not sure I would have been able to forgive so easily." The team nodded, understanding Nick's sentiment. "I should be heading out. Thanks for the invite."

 **A/N: This is one of my favorite chapters. Hope you like it too.**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

"I would like to make a gingerbread house with her," Bruce said, smiling.

"Sounds good," Steve smiled. "We should talk about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day."

"Laura and I would like her overnight into Christmas morning," Clint noted, unsurprisingly. "You all could join us again for Christmas dinner. We usually eat around one."

"Are you sure?" Steve questioned. "You guys hosted for Thanksgiving."

"Yes, we're sure. We want as much time with Jamie as possible, this way she can be with all of us. Besides, we're all family now."

"I'll talk to Pepper, see what she wants to do," Tony responded, feeling torn. He knew that Pepper wanted a quiet Christmas at home. Nat noticed the sadness that crossed Tony's face.

"What's up?" She asked pointedly, drawing everyone's attention to Tony.

"Nothing," Tony responded with a curt tone then left the room. Nat followed, remembering how upset Jamie was at Thanksgiving when the billionaire wasn't around.

"Tony," Nat called. "Stop. Tell me what's going on."

"I'll handle it, ok? Just drop it."

"No, I won't drop it. If this has to do with Jamie and her being hurt again, then I need to know about it."

Tony sighed, irritated with Natasha's persistence and upset with the position he's in. "Pepper won't want to spend Christmas at Barton's. She just wants something small and relaxing."

"Does that include Jamie?"

"Absolutely, if she wants to come."

"I get you have to walk a fine line between what Pepper wants and what Jamie wants," Nat empathized, "…but you need to find a way to see Jamie on Christmas. So, whether you come to Clint's for dinner then you eat dinner at home or Jamie goes to your house and Clint's on Christmas, one way or another, she needs to be with you too. Really she needs to be apart of whatever all of you are doing but at least you."

"I'll talk to Pepper about eating dinner at seven so Jamie can be at both places. We'll keep her overnight."

Nat smiled at Tony's compromise, happy with the outcome. "Jamie will like that."

Tony nodded. "I need to call Pepper."

Nat nodded.

* * *

"Hi sweetheart," Clint cooed when I opened my eyes.

"Hi," I smiled, looking up at my dad. "What's going on?"

"Not much."

Rolling onto my side, I snuggled up closer to Clint. "Hey Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I should just stay here for Christmas."

"What? Why do you say that?"

"I don't want to celebrate. I don't think I deserve any special Christmas stuff either."

"Honey, you're not allowed to skip Christmas. We want you at the farm for Christmas Eve into Christmas morning. It wouldn't feel much like a holiday without you there."

I signed heavily, accepting that I won't get the time alone that I want.

"And then you're coming to my house," Tony chimed in turning the corner. "What do you think?"

"Ok," my response came out flat.

"You know what we're missing…," Steve started, "cookies. We need to make some cookies. What do you think?"

I shrugged my shoulders then started to cry.

"What's wrong, baby?" Nat asked, sitting down next to me then wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

"No cookies, please. I just want to pretend it's not Christmas."

"Would you like to make a gingerbread house with me?" Bruce asked.

"A what?"

"You've never heard of gingerbread houses?"

I shook my head.

"Wonderful, a new tradition just for us," Bruce exclaimed with a huge grin, then grabbed my hand and pulled me to the kitchen.

"So, do you actually eat gingerbread houses?" I questioned while Bruce sat next to me with the last of the supplies.

"Well, I guess it's technically edible but I wouldn't eat it," Bruce responded. "Spoon some of the icing into the bag."

I complied, opening the baggie that Bruce laid on the table and scooping a heaping spoonful of icing into the bag. "Ok, now what?"

Bruce took the bag from me, twisted it closed and rubbed along the outside edge to push the icing into one corner of the bag then cut the corner to make a tip. "The icing is the glue. Squeeze some along the edges like this." Bruce demonstrated how to squeeze the icing onto the edges of the sides of the building. "Want to try?"

"Sure. Like this?" I asked, squeezing some of the icing onto one of the gingerbread pieces.

"Yeah, looks great. Now hold the pieces together until it starts to stick."

"So, you made gingerbread houses with your mom?"

"Yeah, a long time ago."

"What do you do with the houses?"

"Decorate them with candy," Bruce said while pushing a tray of assorted candies toward me. "The icing holds everything in place." Bruce squeezed icing along the top of the structure and laid out some tiny balls along the top. "See, they look like Christmas lights."

I smiled and accepted the bag of icing from Bruce then squeezed some along the sides of the roof adding more of the colorful balls. "Thanks Poppy."

"For what, kiddo?"

"Helping me with Christmas stuff and being my dad."

Bruce wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple. "I love being your dad."

We took turns decorating and using the icing until most of the candy was gone. "Looks great. Nicely done."

"That was fun. Can we do that every year?"

"Absolutely," Bruce said with a smile. "Let's snuggle for a while. Sound good?"

"Umm…" I said, hesitant to be out around everyone again.

"What is it?"

"I'm tired."

"We can snuggle in your room. How does that sound?"

I smiled then nodded. Bruce and I walked side by side to my room.

"I'll be right back," I said then headed into the bathroom and closed the door. I liked that I could be alone in the bathroom, as long as I didn't think too much about it because FRIDAY was monitoring me. Although it was only about seven o'clock, I decided to get ready for bed. After changing into my pajamas and brushing my teeth, I left the bathroom trying not to notice Bruce's surprised look.

"Are you sleeping here tonight? I thought you were going to Tony's."

"I want to stay here tonight with you. Please."

"I think maybe we should talk to Tony."

Bruce's words stung, _maybe he doesn't want me to stay here._ With tears in my eyes, I said, "I'll go to Tony's if you want me to leave."

"Honey, stop. I don't want you to leave, but you have plans to go to Tony's. We all should at least talk about the change in plans."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Let's snuggle for a bit then we'll talk about it."

I nodded then laid down in bed, moving over so Bruce could sit next to me. I snuggled up close, tucking my face against his chest. My tears continued to fall, wetting Bruce's shirt. If he noticed, he didn't say anything. Since I napped earlier, I wasn't able to go to sleep like I wanted. I was sure I would be forced to talk unless I managed to fall asleep.

As if my thoughts were spoken aloud, Bruce said, "We should head out to the living room now to talk." I shook my head then buried my face deeper into Bruce. "Honey, why don't you want to talk about what's going on?"

I sighed heavily, "I don't know."

Tony came into my room looking for me. "Hey kiddo, ready to go?"

"Can I just stay here tonight?"

Tony looked over at Bruce then sat down on the bed near my feet. "What's going on?"

With a quick shrug, I buried my face again.

Before long, everyone was in my room.

"You're dressed for bed?" Nat asked. "I thought you were going to Tony's tonight."

"I'm really tired. I just want to go to sleep now."

"Hmm, you mentioned earlier that you didn't want to go to Tony's tonight. Is that why you're ready for bed?"

I sighed at Clint's challenge. He's not going to let this go.

Bruce reached down and tipped my chin toward his face. "Talk to us."

A few tears overflowed, breaking my resolve. "I'll just get in trouble again."

"Why do you think you will get in trouble again?" Tony asked sitting down at the end of my bed.

"I don't know."

"Ok, well, how do you feel when you're at Tony's?" Steve questioned.

"I don't know," I sputtered tearfully.

"Hey, hey it's ok. We just want to help you to feel better."

Bruce's words and hug helped. I nodded while wiping away the tears that were rolling down my cheeks. Tony moved closer cupping my face.

"I love you so much baby girl. I want you to feel safe, happy, and loved at my house. Ok?" I nodded with a fresh round of tears. "So, do you feel safe at the tower?"

"Yeah, I feel safe." My words came out flat, thinking about the Penthouse being a real-life gingerbread house—beautifully decorated but unsure whether it's ok to partake.

"Happy to hear it. So why do you think you will get in trouble?"

"I don't know."

Tony looked around the room hoping for some help or insight. "I would like you to come with me anyway. I am planning to give you extra snuggles tonight. Ok?"

I sighed, knowing that I won't be getting the reprieve that I was hoping for. "Alright."

Far too quickly I was packed, opting to stay in my pajamas instead of dressing again. Clint pulled me into a hug, "You'll be alright. I'll see you Christmas Eve. Sound good?"

I nodded into Clint's chest. "I'm ready now."

Tony smiled at me, then reached out his hand for me to hold. I walked next to Tony feeling scared. I didn't understand why this felt dangerous but decided to trust my parents.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

"You guys are back late, everything alright?" Pepper asked when Tony and Jamie entered the penthouse.

Tony looked at his daughter for her to respond. "Yeah, everything's fine. I'm going to bed now."

"Ok sweetheart. I'll be in to snuggle in a few minutes," Tony said while watching Jamie walk to her room.

"What's going on?" Pepper asked again hoping Tony would be more forthcoming with information.

"Not really sure," Tony said with a sigh. "She's been off all day. Clint mentioned that she didn't want to come here tonight, that she was convinced she would get in trouble again."

"Get in trouble again…why? She isn't able to control herself?"

"Well, she reacts to her feelings so sometimes I'm sure she can't control herself, but that doesn't mean she can't start to learn to control herself more."

"What can we do to help her with that?"

"We learned that she was upset about not getting snuggle time in the evenings, so I am planning to spend time with her every night."

"I wonder if she would like me to come too."

Tony smiled, "Come on, let's go snuggle our daughter."

* * *

"Come in," I responded to the gentle knock on my door. Once the door opened, I looked over with a smile, watching as both Tony and Pepper entered my room.

"I thought we could double tuck, what do you think?" Tony asked.

I nodded, my smile growing at the thought of special time with both of them. Tony and Pepper each took their respective sides. I decided to lean up against Pepper instead of Tony, testing Pepper's reaction. She seemed surprised at first then snuggled in too, wrapping her arms around me before placing a gentle kiss on the top of my head. "I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, too, Mom."

I felt their surprise and joy, making me smile. I loved that I made them happy. They snuggled with me until after I fell asleep.

I woke alone, shaken from a bad dream, the lack of comfort and security from my parents was crushing me. With a panic attack brewing, I made a beeline for Tony and Pepper's room, desperate for their presence again. After only cracking the door open a few inches, I immediately felt self-conscious, afraid they would yell at me or worse, make me leave. "Are you ok?" the female voice whispered.

"Umm…" I began but couldn't bring myself to keep going, to ask if I could stay. I turned to leave but was stopped.

"Honey, wait," Pepper started then paused until I turned around. My new mom lifted up the covers, inviting me into their bed. I started to sob as soon as I climbed in the bed, snuggling up close to Pepper. "What's wrong honey?"

I shook my head, refusing to respond. I was so sure she wouldn't want me that the relief was overwhelming. Pepper held me tight, running her hand along my head and cheek. I fell back to sleep quickly soaking up everything she was willing to offer.

* * *

Tony chose to remain quiet upon hearing his daughter open their bedroom door to allow Pepper the opportunity to help, not moving or speaking until his fiancé signaled that their daughter was asleep.

"Is she ok?" Pepper asked concerned, unacquainted with Jamie's more intense emotional needs.

"We got the alert that she left her room only moments after FRIDAY alerted us that she was awake, she couldn't have done any self-harm in that amount of time."

"Yeah, she just seemed so scared," Pepper recalled. "It broke my heart."

Tony nodded, opting to limit conversation right now to avoid waking Jamie up, then leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on the girl's head before kissing his fiancé. "We will check in with her in the morning."

* * *

I woke much too hot and weighed down. I would have freaked out but I felt my parents near me. Even in their sleep, I could feel their love for me radiating from them along with their body heat. Steeling a peek, I noted that I was snuggled in Pepper's arms and Tony's arm was around both of us. I smiled feeling loved, more loved than I could ever remember feeling.

Moving slightly to try to cool myself off alerted Tony that I was awake. His eyes opened, immediately glancing over at me. "Good morning, baby girl. You ok?" I nodded then shifted more so I could snuggle with Tony who adjusted too so he could hold me. Tony ran his fingers through my hair, placing several kisses on my forehead. After several minutes, Tony asked, "Are you ready to get up?"

I nodded.

"Are you two getting up already? It's only six o'clock," Pepper asked sleepily.

"Yeah. Go back to sleep," Tony said then kissed Pepper.

Tony and I quietly headed to the kitchen to avoid disturbing Pepper.

"Ready for breakfast?" Tony suggested. I nodded while pulling out the carton of orange juice. "Pour me a glass too, will ya?"

"Sure."

Tony set to making breakfast—scrambled eggs. "Do you want bacon or sausage with your eggs?"

"Umm, sausage sounds good."

"You got it, kid."

After pouring myself and Tony a glass of juice I took a seat at the breakfast bar. Tony looked over at me several times, prompting me to ask with mild amusement, "What?"

"What happened last night?"

My heart sank, afraid that I messed up. "Oh, I'm sorry I came into your bed. I won't do it a—"

"Whoa, hold on," Tony interrupted my anxious apology. "I'm totally fine with you coming into our bed," Tony swiftly moved to stand directly in front of me, cupping my face in his hands. "Got it. I want you to come to our room if you need us and I definitely don't mind if you want to sleep with us."

Tony waited for my response. I hesitated while I focused on the emotions that I felt coming from him which were all good. I smiled and offered a shy smile, relaxing into his arms.

"So, anything happen last night that you want to talk about?"

"Not really. I woke up and was scared and wanted to, you know…" I blushed with embarrassment.

"You wanted to be close," Tony offered.

"Yeah," I sighed. "I really liked that you and Pepper did the double tuck last night. I wanted to feel that again."

Tony smiled, bringing me into a hug. "I'm so happy you came to our room."

"Thanks, Daddy."

Tony broke off the hug then returned to his task of making breakfast. "Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, excited?"

"Daddy, please don't."

"Please don't what?"

"You know, Christmas, again. I don't want to think about it."

"Why not?"

"It reminds me that my family is dead and that I killed them."

Tony turned to look at me. "I'm sorry you're struggling with this. I remember my first Christmas without my parents. It was rough."

I looked over at Tony who appeared to be miles away. My heart broke for him, understanding the pain he feels. "I love you, Daddy."

My words brought Tony back who turned to look at me and smiled, "I love you, too, baby girl."

"Does it ever hurt less?"

"It does get better, in a way," Tony reasoned, turning off the stove and plating food for both of us. "I don't feel the pain every day anymore, but I do still feel the pain sometimes, like right now, when I think about them. I guess I learned to deal with it better."

"How?"

"How?" Tony murmured thoughtfully sitting down next to me. "Well, I tried lots of destructive ways to help myself feel better, none of it really worked. I guess having you has helped the most."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you," Tony said kissing my forehead. "I have a family now. So even though I miss my parents, I get to celebrate Christmas this year with you, Peter, and Pepper."

"Oh."

"Are you feeling better about Pepper now?"

"Yeah, she's starting to feel like my mom." Tony and I turned simultaneously at the sound of a soft sob not far behind us.

"Really?" Pepper said, tearfully. "You feel like I'm your mom now?" I smiled and nodded. Pepper moved to stand behind me, wrapping me up in a hug. "Oh honey, you have no idea how happy that makes me."

Pepper hung on for several minutes ending with a kiss on my temple. We've had some special moments but hearing how happy she was that I was starting to see her as my mom made her commitment to me real. I felt loved.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

Peter and I are done with school for the semester but Tony and Pepper still needed to work a few hours today so they could take more time off for Christmas. Peter had to meet up with some kids from school leaving me home by myself for about an hour. Tony and Pepper are technically still in the building and, of course, FRIDAY is always, _always_ there to make sure I'm safe.

"Hi Jamie," Peter called when he returned home, seeing me sitting on the couch, alone.

"Hi. How was practice?"

"Good. Our next competition isn't until the end of January but MJ's already pushing for more practice time."

"Oh, that's good," Jamie said with little affect.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm good," I said then realized Peter was onto me. "I'm going to my room, let me know when it's time to eat."

"Jamie, wait," Peter called. "Want to hang out with me until dinner?"

"Oh, uh…I'm sure you've got stuff to do. I'll just be in the way."

"No, you won't, really. Want to play Mario Kart with me?" Peter pressed.

"Umm…"

"Come on, it's your favorite game. Besides, I haven't seen you much lately."

I sighed. Peter grinned at the tell-tale sign that I've given in. I followed my brother to his room taking a seat on the end of his bed while he put his stuff away and set up the game. I couldn't help but to look around thinking about how the room once belonged to me making me feel some mixture of jealousy and resentment and finally shame over feeling that way, quickly shoving those feelings back deep inside.

"Hey, pick which track you want to play," Peter said with a smile handing me the purple controller that he bought for me for the purpose of playing video games with him.

Looking over at the screen, I selected the track and my character. Once finalized, the flat screen TV showed us the track alone with the back of the other racers. A yellow light blinked a few times signaling it was time to get ready. The buzzer sounded but I didn't really hear it, lost in my thoughts once again.

"Are you going to play?" Peter asked noticing my inactivity.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," I mumbled then began directing Yoshi around the track.

"Seriously, are you ok?" Peter checked in concern etched across his face.

"I'm fine, just tired. I'm going to take a nap until Daddy gets home."

"When is he supposed to get back?" Peter asked.

"He said in time for dinner but who knows when he'll actually get home. I think Pepper's supposed to be back around six. She had a late meeting or something." I turned to walk away even before finishing my sentence.

"Jamie, wait," Peter nearly begged. "We don't have to play video games; we can do whatever you want."

I didn't respond, hoping to get to my room before I started to cry.

"I'm sorry," Peter blurted when I didn't respond to his offer.

"Sorry…for what?" I pressed surprised, momentarily distracting me from my sadness.

"Ever since…you know, since I came here…I just…I know that you feel left out. I didn't realize I was taking so much of Mr. Stark's time…I should have but didn't and—"

"Peter, stop," I interrupted. "You don't have to apologize."

"I miss when we used to hang out at the compound," Peter spoke softly, head down.

My heart broke, feeling Peter's loneliness and grief. "I miss that too," I admitted.

"Will you stay and hang out with me, please?"

I nodded then returned to my abandoned spot on the bed. "All of the changes, missing my family, constantly fighting with my emotions…"

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Peter confided, the first we've talked about our shared experiences since Peter lost his aunt. "I keep thinking my aunt's going to show up, that she just took a trip or something. I've lost everyone, my whole family is gone, it's just me."

I nodded, "I feel that way too, a lot, but we're not alone. We have each other and now we are brother and sister in a new family." A faint smile crossed my lips, thinking about how often my parents told me something similar and now I'm telling Peter.

"It's weird to think of you as my sister."

I smiled, "Yeah and I'm not the oldest anymore. I've never been the little sister, I'm always the one taking care of my siblings."

Peter wrapped his arm around me, smiling though his grief still lingered, "Now I get to help take care of you."

I smiled feeling protected with Peter. "How are you able to keep it together? I feel awful still, like a lot, and I'm super sensitive."

"I don't want to worry Mr. Stark so I try to ignore it. I guess having you around has helped a lot. Right after, you know," Peter began skipping over the potent parts of the early days after losing his aunt and the funeral, "you were there…you grounded me in the moment somehow and still do. I always feel stronger when you're with me."

"Really?"

Peter nodded, looking up into my eyes. "I'm not sure I can explain it. You seem to know what to say and do. Everyone else acted so awkward around me like I might break but you didn't."

"Oh, well I guess that's from my mind thing. I can sense what other people are feeling."

"It's more than that," Peter retorted. "I know you can sense feelings, but you also helped, too."

I smiled slightly, hesitating to accept Peter's kind words. "Thanks, I'm glad that I helped you to feel better."

"Peter…I'm tired of feeling bad. I want to feel normal again, happy again, I just don't know how."

"You will, it just takes time."

"Time," I said to myself, "yeah, maybe." I let the thought simmer for a moment, thinking about how much time it will take. "I'm really tired," I lied, looking for an excuse to be alone. "I'm going to lay down for a while." I left the room before Peter had a chance to talk me out of it. I know being alone doesn't help when I'm upset, but being around others is just too much right now.

* * *

"Hi Pete, everything okay?" Tony asked, stepping out of a board meeting to answer the unexpected call.

"Um yeah, maybe. Jamie just seems upset. I don't know what to do."

"Where is she?"

"She's in her room. I convinced her to come to my room to play video games but she didn't stay long, just said that she's tired."

"Ok, I'm leaving now, I will be there in about five minutes."

* * *

Peter knocked on Jamie's door. "Jamie...can I come in?" Peter listened carefully but heard nothing. "Jamie?" Peter called again then tried to open the door, finding it was locked. "Jamie?" Peter called a third time, concerned now with the lack of response and the locked door.

True to his word, Tony arrived a few minutes later. "Pete, what's up?"

"Jamie locked herself in her room. She's not answering."

"I'll take it from here, thanks Underoos," Tony consoled, squeezing Peter's shoulder then turned his attention to his daughter's bedroom.

"Jamie?" Tony called through the locked door, only waiting a few seconds for a response. "Jamie, I'm coming in," Tony warned then spoke to his AI, "FRIDAY, unlock Jamie's door." The door's lock popped a moment later. Tony slowly opened the door, peeking inside first to assess the scene.

Tony felt panic seep in when he didn't see his daughter, knowing what usually happens when Jamie's hiding. Moving faster now, Tony checked Jamie's bathroom then her closet, the two places she tends to go to hide. "Jamie?" Tony called again when he came to her closed closet door.

"Honey?" Tony said then slowly opened the door, surprised she wasn't blocking his entrance. "Hey there, baby girl," Tony soothed when he spotted her curled up in the corner, tears running down her cheeks. "What's wrong, honey?"

Jamie shook her head, then tucked her face in the crevice between her knees that were pulled up close to her chest. Tony crouched low then decided to scoot in closer to sit next to his girl. "What happened?"

"Nuh-hing," Jamie sputtered between sobs.

"Nothing? Why are you so upset?"

"Is everything alright?" a familiar female voice called from the bedroom.

Jamie's head popped up, her sobs slowing momentarily then crashing in on her again as she ran out of the closet and into Pepper's arms. Pepper wrapped her arms around the girl, looking over at Tony hoping for some insight. Tony shrugged his shoulders, concern etched in his features.

The woman walked the girl over to her bed, pulling Jamie onto the mattress next to her, keeping her arms wrapped around her shoulders. "What's wrong, baby?" Jamie didn't respond right away, but Pepper decided not to push, allowing her to cry while she comforted her.

After several minutes, Jamie finally spoke, "I want mom."

Pepper cradled Jamie closer, kissing the top of her head while gently rocking back and forth. "I know baby, I know." Jamie clung to the woman, allowing her to soothe and calm her.

Tony sat next to Jamie on the bed, wrapping his arms around both his daughter and fiancé. The three stayed like this for a long time. When the girl calmed, she sat up, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry, for what kiddo?" Tony asked surprised.

"You were in a meeting, right?"

"Yes, I was but no meeting is more important than you. Besides, it was boring."

Pepper smiled at that.

"You were still working too, right?" Jamie asked Pepper.

"Yes, but when I heard that you were upset, I came to check on you."

"How did you know?" I asked then immediately answered for myself, "FRIDAY," remembering how the AI monitors me then sighed.

Pepper nodded, "I hope that's ok."

"Yeah, I just hate having my every move watched," I complained.

"So, what happened, honey?" Pepper asked again, redirecting the conversation.

Jamie sighed, "I don't know. I just started to miss my mom like crazy. Thanks for holding me."

"You're very welcome, honey. I love you. I think we should have a girls' day tomorrow, just the two of us. What do you think?"

I nodded, smiling at the thought of spending the day with Pepper.


	36. Chapter 36

"Any ideas of things you would like to do?" Pepper asked me while my new family at breakfast together.

"Umm, I don't know. Whatever you want."

"Have you ever had a pedicure?"

"Pedicure? Like when they paint your toenails?"

"Yup. Interested? Afterward we can go out for lunch and do some shopping."

"Yeah, ok, that sounds like fun."

"Yeah sounds fun," Tony quipped. "Hey Pete, how about while they are out, we work in the shop?"

Peter nodded emphatically, "Sounds great, Mr. Stark."

"Why do you still call him Mr. Stark?" I asked curiously.

Peter cheeks reddened so Tony responded for him. "It's no rush, kiddo. You can use whatever name is most comfortable. Alright?"

Peter nodded but didn't make eye contact.

"I'm sorry, Peter," I apologized. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"No big deal, I'm fine."

"We should get going. Ready, Jamie?" Pepper asked.

"Yeah, I'll just go get my coat."

Pepper and I were on the road after only a few minutes with Happy driving us through New York City. I tried to push back the frustration I felt when thinking about the comment I made to Peter. I know Peter feels like Tony is his dad and that Tony feels like Peter's dad, I just didn't think about how awkward it might feel for him.

"You ok, sweetheart?" Pepper's voice broke me from my reverie.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. How far away is the place?"

"We're almost there," Pepper responded, letting me dodge her original question.

Happy waited in the car while Pepper and I went inside. The boutique was quaint, narrow but long. About ten feet inside the door sat a counter with a list of the offered services hanging on a chalk board above the granite counter top. Next to the counter rested a beautiful, obviously handmade vase with elegant white orchids. Along the right side were three light pink posh leather chairs that make up the waiting area with an oversized painting of a Japanese cherry blossom in full bloom over a reflecting stream and a traditional Japanese garden bridge. We were greeted by a sweet older woman who called Pepper by her first name, Virginia. I was surprised to hear it since no one else besides Pepper's parents called her by her given name.

"And who's this?" the woman asked turning to me.

"This is my daughter, Jamie. Jamie this is Maggie. She has been doing my nails for a very long time."

"A daughter! I had no idea you had a child. So wonderful! Oh, Virginia, she's beautiful."

I smiled sensing the women's sincerity.

"Thank you," Pepper responded, smiling at me.

"So, what can I do for you ladies today?"

Pepper responded, knowing the terminology to use in a salon, "We would like deluxe spa pedicures."

"Wonderful, go ahead and pick out your colors. Your chairs will be ready when you're done."

Pepper nodded then directed me to a wall of nail polish with every conceivable color option including many with glitter.

"Well, what do you think?" Pepper commented seeing my overwhelmed expression. "We could do blues tones since it's winter or maybe purple since it's your favorite color."

"Um, purple."

Pepper looked at the section of purple polish. "Do you like these darker shades, the ones with glitter, or maybe the light purple more lilac?"

"I really like this one," I said holding up a medium shade of purple.

"Maggie also does designs, if you want. We could add a snowflake to your big toe or something like that."

"Yeah, that sounds good," I responded with a smile.

"I usually just do pink and white French tips but I think I'll get the same color as you. It's really pretty."

Pepper laid her arm on my shoulder then guided me to the back room where there are two massage chairs with basins full of water at the foot. I took off my shoes then climbed up into my chair. I watched as Pepper skillfully used the remote to start up the massage. "Roll up your pant legs then put your feet in the water." I was grateful for Pepper's instructions.

"So, what colors did you select?" Maggie asked returning with another woman who looked to be about Pepper's age, both carrying a basket of equipment.

"We both would like this color..." Pepper said handing Maggie the nail polish, "...with a little snowflake design."

"Oh, that will look amazing. How's the water temperature for you?" Maggie asked us both.

"It's fine," I responded when Pepper glanced my way.

The women set to their task alternating between soaking our feet and rubbing various lotions and scrubs on our feet and calves. I glanced over at Pepper who was clearly enjoying the massage part of the pedicure. "So, where do you go to school?" The younger woman asked.

I felt somewhat uncomfortable sharing information about myself but deemed this question innocuous enough. "I'm homeschooled."

"Wow, how do you find the time?" Maggie asked Pepper.

"Actually, most of it is online but Tony takes the lead on her science and math lessons," Pepper responded with a proud smile.

"Really! Oh, Virginia, he's quite a catch."

Pepper smiled, "I know." Pepper looked over at me, her smile warm and filled with gratitude. I could feel her love for both Tony and I, no doubt thinking about how much Tony has changed since becoming my dad.

Once the polish was dried, Pepper said, "It's a shame to cover up our cute toes but it's time to go."

I nodded, admiring the younger woman's handiwork then complied, putting my shoes back on. Pepper paid the woman and said her goodbyes. "Come back again with your mom, ok sweetheart?" Maggie said with a warm smile. I nodded then turned to follow Pepper back outside to where Happy was waiting at the car.

"You girls have fun?" Happy asked when he spotted us.

"Yeah!" I exclaimed. Pepper smiled at my reaction.

"Where to next, ladies?"

Pepper looked at me then back to Happy. "I think we're ready for lunch. I know a wonderful pizzeria not far from here."

"Thanks, Pepper, for everything," I shyly said.

"You're welcome, baby," Pepper responded, lifting my chin to look at her. "I love you so much."

I smiled feeling loved.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

"We're here," Happy called from the front.

"Wonderful, ready kiddo?"

"Yup," I said then noticed that Happy stayed in the car. "Aren't you eating lunch with us?"

Happy looked over at Pepper then back to me. "I think this is a girl's day. You and your mom go have fun. I'll be here when you get back."

It felt weird to have him just wait for us but I nodded accepting that it's his job.

Pepper guided me to the little mom and pop restaurant a few doors down from where we parked. The restaurant smelled wonderful even before we opened the door. Once inside, the shop was exactly what you would think when going to a pizzeria. There were several tables all with red and white checkered table clothes and pictures of Italy including a map of the boot-shaped country, famous landmarks and a gondola. There were also shelves with jars filled with peppers, olives, and oil. Most of the tables were occupied by other patrons all enjoying their meal.

We waited for only a few moments to be seated. A young man, probably in college, met us at the 'wait to be seated' sign. Along with two sets of silverware and two menus, the man led us to one of the last tables that would seat two people. "What can I get you ladies to drink?"

"I would like water. Jamie?"

"Root beer, please."

The host left to get our drinks while we looked over the menus. "Would you like pizza or pasta?"

"Pizza. Can we get pepperoni on it?"

"Sure, sweetheart. Anything else?"

"No, thanks," I remarked, oddly polite, still getting used to Pepper.

When the waiter came to our table, Pepper gave him our order. "Anything in particular you would like to do after lunch?"

"Whatever is fine."

"Ok, well we could go shopping or maybe see a movie, whatever you want."

"Ok," I responded hesitantly, distracted by the misplaced anxious feelings that I felt from someone nearby. I just couldn't figure out who or why.

"Honey, are you ok?" Pepper asked but before I could respond someone shouted.

"Everybody on the ground!"

Pepper and I turned to the front of the restaurant where two men donning black ski masks were standing pointing guns at the small crowd of people.

Since no one in the stunned group moved, the man shouted again, "Everybody on the ground or I start shooting!"

Pepper reached over to me, pulling me to the ground next to her. It took a few moments, but my fear set in hard. I shakily reached up to my necklace that Tony gave me a few months earlier that connects to FRIDAY. With the alert sent, I calmed slightly, knowing that someone would come to help.

"Hey, you…aren't you that Potts lady, the Stark's CEO?" One of the men said, pointing at Pepper then looked back at his partner.

Pepper just stared at the man as she gripped me tighter.

"Grab her, maybe we can get a little extra for her," said the man who appeared to be in charge.

"What about the kid?"

"Yeah, take the kid. If she's with Potts she might be worth something, too."

The man in charge set to gathering up valuables from the other patrons then emptied the cash register while the other man grabbed Pepper and I.

"Leave her…she's nobody, just a coworker's kid."

Pepper's words hurt but I refused to let it show. Unfortunately, her efforts didn't work. "Yeah right, the CEO's babysitting? You're both coming with us."

"Here," the guy in charge said then threw a roll of duct tape to the other man. "Tie them up with that. Get their mouths, too. I don't want to hear them screaming."

Once the guy in charge finished gathering up the valuables, he walked closer to help move us grabbing me while his accomplice grabbed Pepper. My core went from shaking with fear to a full-on panic attack. An involuntary growl spilled past my taped lips, matching the wind speed that was rushing around me. The men looked around then at me. Pepper screamed then a sharp pain hit the back of my head-the last thing I remembered before the darkness took over.

* * *

"What do you got for me, Happy?" Stark barked through his suit's interface.

"Surveillance shows two men entered the restaurant eight minutes ago. They had everyone get on the ground then one of them recognized Pepper. They took her and Jamie. I uploaded the video to FRIDAY."

"Where are they now?"

The AI spoke while various images of the vehicle popped up on the HUD from local security cameras, "They are in a dark gray 4-door sedan heading south on 478."

Tony changed directions to hunt down the kidnappers. "Sir, I have lost visual on the sedan."

"What! Why?"

"The tunnel doesn't have a working surveillance system. There is an eight-five percent chance they are heading for the docks and a fifteen percent chance they will continue following the Brooklyn-Queens Parkway."

"Keep scanning local security cameras for the car. I'm heading to the docks."

"Will do, Boss."

"Happy…" Tony shouted pausing briefly for the man to respond.

"I'm on it, Boss, just passed through the tunnel. I'm heading to the docks now."

"Incoming message from Steve Rogers," the AI announced.

"Accept," Tony said then paused for a moment before continuing, "Hey Cap. We are heading to the docks along the north shore."

"We will meet you there," Steve announced then the call ended.

* * *

I noticed the smell first, the awful mixture of alcohol and cigarettes, then the pain in my head followed by not being able to move my arms to rub my head. _Wake up, you have to wake up_ , I thought to myself with urgency as the realization that I was in danger came flooding back to my consciousness. Squinting my eyes tight a few times, I tried to wake up with little success.

 _What happened?_ _Lunch…the robbers…Pepper!_ My eyes flung open with a start remembering that Pepper and I were taken.

Having seen me move, Pepper shifted her legs, the only part of her body that wasn't either restrained or too risky to move for fear of drawing attention to us, to touch my own reassuringly. I sensed her concern, her desire to comfort me, and her fear. Despite the danger we found ourselves in, her presence comforted me. I remembered her words from earlier, that I was 'no one,' but pushed them aside opting to be comforted instead of the disparaging alternative.

Our captors were arguing, trying to decide where to go and what to do with us. Apparently, with the revelation that I had a special power which they hypothesized was control over wind or something, they guessed they had to hide from not only the police but also the Avengers.

I looked over at Pepper again, looking for some inkling that we would be ok. Feeling more than fear coming from her, I honed in on her emotions, taking some comfort in her strength and confidence. I wondered if she believed Tony would be coming to save us, that the might of the Avengers would be raining down on the men who were dumb enough to try to hurt us. I couldn't help the smirk that crossed my face, also believing that my parents would be coming for us, would be coming for them.

"Over there," the leader shouted while pointing to the docks. "We can hide out there until we get the ransom note sent."

"The docks, really?" The other man asked incredulously. "That's the first place they'll look."

 _Hmm_ , I thought agreeing with the man's assessment, _I guess we know who the smart one is._

"Shut up and do as you're told! I don't pay you to think."

Pepper looked over at me, her reassuring smile hindered by the duct tape, but I noticed it nonetheless. I replied with a slight nod.

A few minutes later we pulled into the docks then up to a large building. The leader abandoned the vehicle to open the garage door, allowing the other man to drive inside, hiding the vehicle from passersby and no doubt the Avengers.

 _These guys have no idea what they're doing_ , I thought to myself with a sly grin.

"Alright, let's go," the leader commanded while pulling my arm to drag me out of the car. Pepper squawked in protest but was dragged from her side of the vehicle a moment later. The room was massive with a row of dirty windows lining the top near the ceiling. My nose crinkled at the smell of mold and grease. The men roughly pulled us with them into a small office off the left side of the main room. "Tie them up to the radiator," the leader said then paused looking at me with a disgusting grin. "Actually, I think I'll take this one with me."

Pepper's eyes widened with panic, screaming and yanking herself free from her captor then running toward the leader despite her arms being taped behind her back. She lunged toward the man, managing to knock him back causing him to lose his grip on my arm. I fell to the ground then Pepper shielded me with her own body. Her words from earlier rang through my mind, _She's nobody, just a coworker's kid._ I realized she just said that to keep me safe, just like she's protecting me now.

My relief was brief as the man regained his balance grabbing Pepper by her hair, dragging her over to the radiator, taping her tightly to the metal bars. When he turned back to face me, I saw a streak of blood coming from his lip where Pepper's head collided with his face. I shook my head as he stepped closer, trying to scramble away but unable to move more than a foot or so. With my back up against the wall, I had no choice, he gripped my arm tightly, roughly pulling me to my feet once more.

A moment later, Happy busted in the door, his own gun drawn. Happy managed to take out the guy next to Pepper, then moved with his gun pointing at the leader toward Pepper to guard her from anything the man might try to do. The guy in charge matched Happy's movements, turning slowly as Happy made his way around the room. He used his leverage, me, turning his gun to my head. "Back off or the girl gets a bullet in her head."

"Do what he says or you get a blast to _your_ head," a familiar male voice commanded from behind. I couldn't turn around but I knew the owner of the voice was Iron Man, my dad.

Seeing that he was outgunned, the kidnapper dropped his gun and put his arms up. Happy subdued the man, binding his arms behind his back.

Tony stepped out of his suit moving quickly to me and to Pepper, gently pulling the tape away from my mouth then cutting the tape from my wrists. "Daddy!" I shouted then wrapped my arms around him tightly as if he was the lone life preserver in the middle of the ocean. Happy took care of removing the tape from Pepper then Tony wrapped his free arm around her while Pepper wrapped her arms around me.

"Are you ok, baby?" Pepper asked shifting to get a better look at me.

I nodded but didn't pull my face away from Tony's chest.

"The police will be here soon," Happy commented while guarding the assailants.

Tony nodded then removed me from the room where the men were. He picked me up settling me onto his lap once he found a place to sit. Pepper sat next to Tony while we waited for the police to come.

Nat, Steve, Clint and Bruce showed up a few minutes later, checking on me first then Steve and Bruce sat nearby while Nat and Clint scanned the area.

Once the cops arrived, Pepper and I were asked about what happened. Tony stayed with me while Pepper and Happy both talked to different officers. I felt Tony's muscles stiffen, anger and fear radiating from him, as I talked about the men and how they identified Pepper and kidnapped us.

When the police finished taking our statements, Happy drove the three of us home. I stayed on Tony's lap, too worked up to even be a few inches away from him.

"I'm so proud of you for remembering to use the device in your necklace," Tony said, kissing my cheek.

I only nodded, unwilling to talk right now. I was beyond tired. Feeling the crash following the adrenaline rush, I fell asleep on Tony's lap.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

Jamie was still asleep when the car pulled into the private entrance to the parking garage below the tower. With Happy's help opening doors, Tony carried Jamie inside. The rest of the team was waiting in the penthouse, anxious to check on her.

"How's she doing?" Clint asked as soon as the group left the elevator.

"She's ok. Shaken up, but ok," Tony responded, moving to the couch then positioning Jamie to sit on his lap. Tony debated taking her to bed, but he couldn't, couldn't stop holding her. The contact with his daughter doing just as much to calm himself as it was helping her.

"What happened?" Nat asked Pepper.

"Two men tried to rob the restaurant where we were having lunch. One recognized me and saw that Jamie was with me so they changed their plans to include kidnapping us for ransom."

"Are you alright?" Steve asked, concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine. Jamie used her emergency button on her necklace as soon as the men showed up so help came quickly," Pepper commented, looking over at Jamie. "She noticed something was wrong before I did, just not soon enough for us to leave before it happened."

"What do you mean?" Clint questioned.

"She said that something was wrong. I presume she could sense their feelings."

"What's going on?" Peter asked, worriedly, just joining the group but aware that something bad happened because he was with Tony when FRIDAY announced Jamie's call for help.

"Two men held us hostage, we're ok though. Tony and Happy showed up before anything really happened," Pepper responded, with a reassuring smile.

Peter hugged Pepper then turned to look at Jamie. "Are you sure she's ok?"

"Yeah, she's just coming off of the adrenaline," Steve responded, putting his hand on Peter's shoulder to reassure him.

"I'm going to put her in bed," Tony said to the group warily, needing to get away from the current discussion before panic settled in.

"I'll help," Pepper offered, quickly moving to open Jamie's door then pulled down her covers giving Tony enough room to gently lay Jamie down then covered her up.

Tony placed a gentle kiss on Jamie's head then moved to Pepper's side.

"She's ok," Pepper commented seeing the emotion on Tony's face.

"I could have lost her."

"You didn't, she called for help right away. She knew what to do."

"I've never been more scared in my life," Tony admitted.

Pepper wrapped her arms around him reassuringly. "Our daughter is home safe."

Tony nodded but chose not to say anything more.

* * *

When Tony and Pepper returned to the living room, Clint was on the phone in the corner of the room talking to Laura. Nat was on Tony's laptop at the counter, already learning everything she could about the would-be kidnappers. The others took up seats around the room, none talking as they processed what happened. Tony joined them, contemplating the what-ifs.

Nat spoke once Clint rejoined the others, "They're nobodies, just some small-time crooks who were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"This is my fault," Tony seethed, angry with himself and frustrated that the others didn't get it.

"What? Why?" Bruce asked incredulously.

"She's connected to me. She has a target on her back, they all do." Tony whisper-yelled waving his arm wildly in the direction of Jamie's room, Peter, and Pepper.

"She has the necklace and we keep a close eye on her," Steve consoled, accepting the truth in Tony's words but unwilling to let his propensity for guilt to take over. "It doesn't get much better than having the Avengers looking out for her."

Tony nodded, willing to move on especially considering the soul-crushing alternative: not having them in his life, being alone again.

"Should we let her sleep here or take her to Clint's for Christmas?" Steve asked the team.

Tony quickly responded, "I can't not be with her right now."

Everyone nodded, feeling the same need to be close.

"Let's take her to the compound," Bruce suggested. "We can all meet up there for Christmas."

Tony looked at Pepper and Peter, waiting for them to respond since they will be affected the most. Peter announced with a bubble of excitement, "Absolutely!"

Pepper nodded, knowing both Peter and Tony wanted to go, acknowledging her own desire to be close to Jamie right now, as well.

Clint nodded, "I'll check in with Laura," then left the room to make the phone call. Upon his return, Clint shared the consensus, "Laura's onboard with the change in plans."

Bruce smiled, thinking about having Christmas at the compound meaning he will also get to celebrate Christmas morning, something he hasn't wanted to do since he was a young child, something he didn't realize he would ever want to do again.

Steve offered, "I'll contact Dr. Strange, see if he will help gather everyone up since it's getting late."

* * *

With his daughter scooped up into his arms, Tony led his family along with the rest of the Avengers through the magician's portal. Laura was waiting eagerly on the other side, desperate to see for herself that Jamie was, in fact, ok.

"I'm going to put her in bed," Tony announced.

"I'll help," Laura chimed in, immediately, wanting to help take care of Jamie any way she could.

Tony nodded then headed down the hall of bedrooms.

"What's wrong with her, Dad?" Cooper asked concerned as he watched his new sister being carried to her room.

"She's ok now, just tired."

Cooper challenged, "She's not ok, what happened?"

Despite his concern sharing the danger Jamie was in, Clint smiled, recognizing that his son was growing up and much more observant. Clint explained, "Two men attempted to kidnap Jamie and Pepper during a robbery where they were having lunch." Cooper's eyes widened. "Like I said, though, she's ok, just tired from the ordeal." Cooper nodded, looking toward the hallway.

Watching his son carefully, Clint asked, "Are you ok, buddy?"

Cooper nodded, "Is it alright if I check on her?"

Clint smiled proudly at the tenderness his son showed toward Jamie. "Sure. Just don't wake her up, alright?"

Cooper nodded then took off.

Nat scooped up Lila. "Auntie Nat, why are we all here? I thought everyone was coming to my house tomorrow."

Clint interjected before Nat could respond, "Jamie's not feeling well so everyone came here instead."

"Oh, did she throw up?" Lila responded. Her innocence made everyone smile.

"No, but she's tired. I imagine she will feel much better when she wakes up."

"Ok. Want to play with me?" Lila asked Nat.

"Sure baby. Did mom pack some toys?"

"Yup, she said I could bring anything that could fit in the box," Lila said pointing to a large plastic bin.

"Great, pick out something to play with."

"Ok," Lila said then hurried off to the toy bin, Nat following close behind.

* * *

Laura coaxed Cooper away from Jamie's room once he was sure Jamie was ok, hoping to keep the extra noise in the room to a minimum so the girl wasn't disturbed. A few minutes later, Tony also left his daughter's room, reminding FRIDAY to alert them if there's a problem. Tony noticed Peter pacing in the hallway when he shut the girl's bedroom door.

"You ok, Underoos?"

Peter looked up at Tony's voice then asked, "How's she doing?"

"She's fine, really, kiddo. She just needs some sleep," Tony replied then brought Peter in for a hug.

Peter nodded, then spoke, "I feel like I let her down. I'm her big brother, I should have protected her."

Tony smiled sadly, quickly making the connection between the other's response to his own guilt and the response he is about to offer Peter regarding his. "Pete, you can't protect Jamie from everything; it's not your fault. She is as safe as a kid could be without locking her in a padded room."

Peter nodded but didn't really feel much better. "Come on, kid, let's go see what the others are up to."

Peter nodded but didn't begin walking until Tony prompted with a hand on his back.

When the duo entered the living room, they saw similar subdued expressions worn by everyone.

"How about we head over to the game room or put on a Christmas movie?" Tony asked, hoping to ignite the holiday feel.

It was Lila who responded, "I want to watch the Grinch movie!"

"Which one?"

Lila's features scrunched up as if she ate a lemon, "Not the new one!"

Dr. Strange responded, "What's wrong with the new one?"

"The Grinch isn't very grinchy, just sort of grumpy."

Everyone smiled.

"Ok, so the original or the other one?" Tony asked, updating the choices.

"The movie!"

Tony instructed FRIDAY to turn on the movie while Steve and Bruce brought in the decorated artificial Christmas tree from the front lobby. Nat added garland and lights also from other parts of the compound to make the living quarters feel more festive.

"I hope Jamie doesn't mind us redecorating," Steve commented, thinking about her reaction to Christmas a few days ago while rehanging the ornaments that fell from the branches in transit to the living room.

Bruce nodded. "Yeah, but she would have been around decorations at the Barton's if we hadn't moved the party here."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm just not sure what the best thing for her is right now. She was already struggling and now add everything that happened tonight."

Bruce nodded sadly but continued his work hoping their decision would be received well.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

The sound of my bedroom door shutting woke me. I looked around briefly, recognizing where I was but unsure of how I got from the car to my bed at the compound. Acknowledging that I was currently safe, my mind immediately picked up where it left off.

I thought about being at the restaurant with Pepper, the men saying they were going to take us, Pepper saying I was nobody.

 _She didn't mean it though, right? She was protecting me from the men. She loves me, right?_

 _It doesn't make sense, though, that she would want me, I'm just in the way there._

 _But…she said she wanted to be my mom._

 _Did she mean it?_

The debate continued, my fear of not being wanted raging against my belief that Pepper wanted to be my mom.

As my fears started to win the battle for my heart, I remembered Clint's words when I was afraid that Tony didn't want me anymore. _'You can sense feelings, right? So, how does Tony feel?'_

 _How does Pepper feel?_ I asked myself, closing my eyes to focus on what I've sensed from her.

 _She loves me. She wants to be my mom and was happy when I said she felt like my mom._

I smiled, trusting my extra senses more than my thoughts or my fears.

 _They love me, they all do!_

With a lump of guilt forming in my stomach, I remembered my piece of glass, my go-to when I'm feeling bad. _They're right. I really don't need to hurt myself. I have all of them to help me._

With my mind made up, I got out of bed and headed to my closet.

* * *

FRIDAY announced, "Jamie entered her closet."

Alarmed, the team moved swiftly, all expecting the possible problem. Dr. Strange, Laura, and Pepper remained with the kids and Peter in the living room, the concern palpable between the adults. Even the three kids looked at each other sensing the change in the room.

"Jamie?" Clint called from the shut bathroom door.

Jamie didn't respond except to open the door. Hesitating momentarily while gripping the piece of glass tighter when she saw her parents' alert, anxious expressions staring at her, Jamie averted her eyes, opting to look at everyone's shins.

"What are you doing?" Clint asked, taken off guard by Jamie's behavior.

"Um…" Jamie spoke softly, without making eye contact with the group, carefully considering her words, "Can we do one of those talk circle things?"

The anxious expressions morphed into surprise, a talk circle being one of the last things they expected Jamie to ask for, ever. "Sure, baby girl," Clint responded. "The kids are here as well as Pepper, Laura and Dr. Strange, should we have them go to another room."

Jamie nodded, shyly, then blurted, "Wait," stopping Clint before he cleared the doorway. "Can Pepper and Laura go to the talk circle, too?"

Clint smiled then nodded, "Sure, baby. We can have Dr. Strange and Peter stay with Cooper and Lila in the game room."

Jamie waited uncomfortably, fidgeting in place, until Clint returned with the all clear.

* * *

It took only moments for the talk circle to be set up—longer than my determination lasted yet not nearly long enough for me to steel myself for what I wanted to share. Fortunately, they waited patiently for me as I took several deep breaths, calming my quaking core. Cognizant of the piece of glass clutched in my hand, I reminded myself not to squeeze my hand shut tight.

"Do you want me to hold you?" Steve asked, hoping to ease my distress.

I shook my head, certain that any physical contact would wreck the weak control I currently had over my emotions. We one more deep breath, I spoke, "I…I've been struggling with, um, with believing…you know, that-that I'm important and…well…wanted, I guess. It's hard to accept sometimes, given everything that I've done, the people I've hurt." My words trailed off momentarily, wincing at the memory, as tears broke loose, rolling down my cheeks. "I know it's not my fault, but I did it and I always thought that it was crazy that all of you would actually want me." I kept my eyes fixed on my trembling fingers, trying to suppress the guilt that was trying to regain its foothold.

"I was feeling more confident and then today happened…and Pepper said that I was 'nobody'… and I believed her, but then she protected me—she attacked that guy—and…and she helped me. She put herself in more danger…for me.

"When I woke up, I thought about what happened and I started to freak out but then I remembered what Clint had me do before and…well, I focused on Pepper's feelings and…I…I knew that she actually loved me…enough to risk her own safety and that's just crazy that anyone would love me but you all do.

"So, I…I thought that maybe I really could trust you, all of you, to protect me and help me. Maybe…I, I don't need to keep this anymore," I said then opened up my hand to reveal the piece of glass. "I, um, lied, when you asked what I used to hurt myself. I didn't use the razors very often, I used this."

When Clint reached his hand out, I placed the glass in his hand. "I wanted to give this to you so you can help me instead of hurting myself. I don't know…I might still have times when I want to hurt myself but I don't want that right now. I want to trust you to help me instead."

Fear of their anger over lying to them combined with wavering confidence of their feelings for me, I couldn't look at them, I couldn't make eye contact for fear of what I might find there.

"Baby girl," Tony said, pausing briefly then moving closer to kneel right in front of me.

I hesitantly looked up at him, seeing tears wetting his cheeks.

"Thank you. Thank you for trusting us, for trusting me. I love you so much."

I fell into his arms—my daddy's arms—bursting with more emotion than I knew what to do with. I stayed there wrapped up in Tony's arms, surrounded by all of my parents. They loved me, I knew, and was finally ready to fully embrace my status as their daughter.


	40. Chapter 40

**-Epilogue-**

Christmas Day

More an observer than a participant, I watched my little brother and sister opening their presents. Lila screamed, literally screamed, when she unwrapped her final present, a miniature corral for her horses. Apparently, she's been asking for this specific gift for several months. Cooper collected the bows from everyone's gifts attempting to cover his entire body in a sea of red, green, gold, and silver bows, except the handful of pink bows that adorned Lila's presents. Cooper's insistence that pink bows weren't Christmassy enough to be added to his collage was met with Lila sticking out her tongue. Everyone chuckled.

I opened my gifts, with less enthusiasm than my younger siblings, but with just as much or perhaps more gratitude. Every gift elicited tears, tears that I was able to either hold at bay or wipe away before they were too noticeable. Peter somehow managed happy smiles but I could feel his grief as well as my own.

My parents didn't mention the previous night's admission, but I could sense they were both relieved and, if it were possible, even more concerned. I'm sure they will want to talk more about it but for the moment at least, the focus was on the day, celebrating together as a family.

A family, my family. A year earlier, I was with my mom and sister. I miss them, a lot.

Pepper interrupted my reverie, "Hi sweetheart, I made you some hot chocolate."

I accepted the warm treat, taking a few sips then smiled when I noticed the tiny marshmallows. "Thanks."

Pepper smiled in return, running the back of her hand over my cheek. "How are you?"

"I'm ok."

"I know today is hard for you. I wish I could make everything better."

"Yeah, today is…," I sighed then continued but with a change in topic. "I really like that we are all here together. I get to spend the day with my whole family instead of seeing people in groups. Thank you for being willing to come here, I know you were looking forward to Christmas at the tower."

"I was but you're right. Christmas here, with everyone, is perfect. We are all family now."

I nodded, slightly distracted by Lila giggling while sticking the pink bows on Peter's head. Peter pretended not to notice the bows. "Lila, what's so funny, huh?" Peter quipped with a grin, making Lila giggle even more. I smiled.

"Honey about what I said yesterday—"

I interrupted before Pepper could finish, "I know you only said that to try to convince the kidnappers to leave me alone."

"That's right, I didn't want you to be in danger. I wish it would have worked."

The beautiful sounds of Christmas music being played on the piano drew our attention. "Is that Daddy?"

Pepper nodded, "Come on."

Pepper reached her hand out to me, leading me over to the piano. Tony smiled, then nodded to the piano bench as an invitation to sit. I joined him, leaning against his arm lightly. Without missing a note, Tony leaned over to kiss the top of my head.

With a soft, angelic voice, Pepper chimed in, singing along with the piano, "Silent Night, Holy Night. All is calm. All is bright…"

The lyrics of the familiar song filled my ears and my heart in a way they never had before as if this was the first time hearing the song. I felt hope. I didn't have hope before that moment, but with everything that I experienced and everything I survived, I felt hope. Not superficial hope that the ice cream shop would have my favorite flavor or the hope that on Christmas morning I would have the top item on my list. This hope was deeper, requiring a completely different word to really capture it's meaning; this hope was all encompassing. This hope was a soothing balm that healed and nourished my soul.

Tears fell again, tears for the loss of my mom and sister as well as the gratitude I felt for everyone in my new family. With this new hope, I believed that I would be ok. The loss of my family and my unusual powers weren't going to hold me back, didn't have to be the end of who I was, just different and, with my parents' help, maybe I will be hope for someone else. Maybe, my experiences, my powers can help someone else someday.

 **A/N:**

 **Wow, It's hard to believe this story is done. I'm sorry to anyone who was hoping for the full Christmas experience. It didn't really feel relevant to go through all of the normal Christmas traditions.**

 **If you are enjoying my AU, I am working on the next story that follows Jamie as she starts to develop her powers as well as a brief prequel to From the Shadows (the first story in this series) that shows what happens from the time Tony meets Jamie in the hospital through the first days after she arrived at the compound that's focused on the each of the Avenger's perspective.**

 **I am also trying something new in another fic, also Avengers but without an original character. Please follow me to get the alerts on the new stories.**

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing.**


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